The Afterparty – Restless

For the pop-rock genre is very easily to compare emerging bands to those who are already established and well-known and for South Coast’s The Afterparty this is no different. On first listen ‘Restless’ comes off as a straight-up resemblance to bands to like You Me At Six and Kids In Glass Houses but after a few listens, its clear that The Afterparty are very good at what they do.

‘Sticks and Stones’ is unbelievably addictive and catchy you even feel a bit guilty for liking it. Thankfully the band don’t cross the overly-pop borderline and keep it together with a combination of driving guitars and a soaring chorus. It’s certainly a winning start.

‘So Much To Say’ begins off in a subdued manner before radiantly bursting with a bold chorus and toe-tapping verse that leaves you smiling. It’s clear that The Afterparty have got the perfect pop-rock recipe down to a tee.

Next up is ‘Diamond Eyes,’ a stomping, boisterous number with slick guitar work that keeps up the great momentum from the two first tracks. Whilst the EP closes with ‘How To Let Go’ is lyrically sincere yet the band pull through with another bold pop-rock bulldozer that leaves you very, very hooked and wanting more.

Whilst some may see The Afterparty as mere You Me At Six imitators, others will see a promising band with a neat, concise collection of instantly addictive pop-rock that doesn’t fail to deliver. Fans of the genre will eat this up and rightly so they should. We can’t wait to hear more.

4.5/5

‘Restless’ EP by The Afterparty is released on July 2nd through Engineer Records.

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British pop-punkers The Afterparty have just released their new EP‘Restless’, full of catchy hooks, fun riffs and a feel good vibe.

Vocally, it’s quite similar to the style of the legendary Fall Out Boy, which to some is pretty darn good. However, it can be slightly grating for those into something with a bit more of a punch. Nonetheless, the perky guitar flicks and beating drums mix perfectly with it, creating a light and fluffy rock song.

First track ‘Sticks And Stones’ shows off the band to the full. It’s energetic with a chorus perfect for singing back. Again, it does verge on slightly annoying with the cheesy lyrics but it’s undoubtedly contagious. Second track on the EP is ‘So Much To Say’. Starting off a bit more mellow, it’s refreshing to hear a calmer vocal before bashing out into yet another catchy chorus. Full of little guitar twangs, the track always has something going on.

Next track ’Diamond Eyes’ again starts a bit mellower with soft instrumental strums before building up into a punchy chorus. Already, it’s clear that this will be a great EP to play live with people singing the lyrics back. The final track on the EP, ‘How To Let Go’, is an infectious little ender. Even if you try not to like this band, the tune will stick in your head and you will listen to it again. Definitely the best track off the EP!

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Southern quintet The Afterparty graced the home page here at HevyPetal a few weeks back with the news of their new EP. Shortly after, we had Restless - the group’s four track release – drop into our inbox. Needless to say, we were pretty excited to hear it, and why wouldn’t we be when we see rave live reviews on yours truly’s site? Citing the sweet poppy nature of the band in the review, we know what we’re in for, and we could not be more excited…

Kicking off the EP rather energetically isSticks And Stones, the lyrics playing on that famous idiom. Straight away we are introduced to the band’s sugar-sweet pop rock sound, with head-noddingly good pace and rhythm throughout. Singer Nic Matthews’ smooth voice starts deep and rich, but by the chorus he shows off his impressive range by belting the simple yet powerful words of the refrain. This track is currently being streamed by the band HERE so you can learn the words ready to sing along on their upcoming tour! Handy, eh?

The quintet rein it in for So Much To Say at first, stripping the tune back in a sort of Every Avenue type fashion – with just the vocals and showy guitar lines to focus on, before punching us with their distinct energy again. The rhyming lyrics of the chorus come across as a little… cheesy (hey, nothing wrong with a bit of cheese!), but cling to our memory straight away, and we do catch ourselves singing along by the final chorus – so clearly the band are doing something right!

The introduction to Diamond Eyes captivates us instantly, showing the creativity of the guitarists yet again with a fancy line. However, we feel that this interesting beginning is to make up for the slightly lacklustre song that follows. Don’t get us wrong, it’s an enjoyable song, but it just seems to lack that spark the previous tracks have. Regardless, it’s delightful and still has the sweet pop rockiness of the previous two tracks, but perhaps it’s just too sweet. Ah well, we all like our candy sickly sweet.

All too soon, we’re approaching the end of the EP. How To Let Go redeems the band from the slightly disappointing track before it, and it’s just a shame that this song is shorter. It shows a slightly more rocky side to the group, but with their own elements of pop shining throughout. Restless as a whole successfully captures the bands maturity through their musicianship, yet juxtaposes it with their fun and bright overtone. There’s certainly been some hype about the band in recent weeks in Camp HP, and this EP shows that the hype is fully justified.

Due to unforseen circumstances, the Triple Threat Tour which The Afterparty were due to head out on has been cancelled. But rest assured we’ve been told more dates for headline shows are to be announced soon!

In the meantime, how about you get your pre-orders in for Restless ahead of its release on July 2nd HERE? And grab yourself a ticket while you’re there too – these guys are NOT to be missed!

- Freya Cochrane

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