Phonotonal
The Warm

The Warm
The Warm EP

The Warm have had a great start to their career, as support slots with Snow Patrol attest. On the evidence of this great-sounding demo, they have all the ingredients in place for a full-scale assault on the ears of the nation. Every song here sounds like it should be on the radio.

‘I Will Be There’ jogs along with a fantastically poppy chorus, but enough energy to be called a ‘rock’ song. The subtlety of the guitar interplay between Nick and Stu works nicely and it’s easy to see why a crowd of Snow Patrol fans would take to them. There’s even a pleasing wah solo (the world needs more wah!) to keep the energy levels up. Three listens to this and it’s in your head forever, promise.

‘No One Left to Hold You’ continues in a similar vein, highlighting the strength of Nick’s vocals, and a tight, precise drum groove from Boyd. This song reminds me of bands like The Calling and Lifehouse, as in fact does the whole EP; polished, but with enough rock chops to keep even the most hardened hack interested.

By the time ‘Everytime You’ rolls along, I know what to expect and it seems the band sought to guard against this, as the song is more hi-octane, with more prominent lead guitar licks, but still the thing which pushes through strongest is that hooky chorus.

Closer ‘On Your Own’ slows things down a bit, and sports one of those patented MOR indie riffs which are so popular at the moment. If the song wasn’t so strong, I would criticize them, but it’s impossible. Like every song on this set, it’s perfectly designed, primed and aimed squarely at… well, anyone with a pulse and a liking for guitars really. And anyway, what’s wrong with simply writing great songs and playing them well? I predict that within 12 months we’ll all be singing their songs in the shower.

Guest article from Haydon S.

Written by Guest Writers on

Between 2003 and 2009, [the-mag] had regular contributors from music correspondents covering their local scene. You'll find them all in the guest writers section. The specific writer is mentioned at the bottom of each article.

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