Album Review

The Dead Fronts – Dangerous Impressions EP

• 12th Nov 2012

Dangerous Impressions is the debut EP from North London five piece band The Dead Fronts. Theirs is a difficult sound to define, which is not necessarily a bad thing. At its core is a melodic indie pop with sparkling guitars and even vocals that tend to the high pitched. But there are also occasional bursts of grungy guitar that take their music into very different territory.

The overall effect is interesting, if a little uneven. It’s quite difficult to connect with something that is hard to get a handle on. There are some fine vocal harmonies in places and the musicianship is good throughout, but the repeated changes of pace and tone give their music a fragmented feel.

Title track Dangerous Impressions opens the EP. The song alternates between slow passages with mellow vocals and more strident sections where the guitars take over and the vocals head into a higher register. The bass line drives the track forward and it has a dramatic quality that works quite well. Killer Bee follows, some great guitar parts standing out in a track that is a little plodding in the verses but features a big and anthemic chorus.

People Talking is slower and bass heavy. It’s a decent indie pop song until the almost inevitable bursts of fuzzy guitars change the feel for a few seconds at a time. Fake is very different to the other tracks on the EP with its grunge feel, screamed vocals and heavy guitars. It adds a great deal of energy and the intricate bass work comes through well. The closing Forward Machine starts slowly before the guitars come in and the pace rises. Again there are two alternating parts to the track and it ends with repeated chanting of the phrase “is it working?”

The Dead Fronts clearly have a wide range of influences and have incorporated elements of several different musical styles into their work. Perhaps there are just too many disparate elements at play here and a simpler sound would work better? The five musicians clearly have a great deal of talent. What is missing for me is a unified musical vision of where they are going as a band.

Venue: Dangerous Impressions EP
Support Band: Kiossk Records