Class Picture
Class Picture are described as ‘just three dudes hanging out making the music we love’, which sounds like as good a reason as any to make a band! When they dropped us a line about their selftitled EP, I figured it was only right therefore that I check out what was going on to see how they were getting on!
Opening with James Morgan there’s an immediate sense of a band who are doing it for the love of doing it, the music doing all of the talking and simply crafting a track which is short, to the point and relatively simple – it’s good to hear! Moving on to Are You Trying To the pace picks up and we’re thrown into a more urgent mix of hammering drums, fast yet restrained guitar lines and strong vocals. The sense of melody running through things here keeps this track alive and interesting, forming a track which is by no means perfect, but when you’ve got music like this you almost dno’t want it to be! The lack of over production or perfection adds a sense of realism to this track, turning it into a track which shows off what you can expect from these guys on the live scene without making any false claims they can’t back up, it’s a nice change to hear to be honest.
One Track Mind follows much the same sort of convention, once again building into the track so as not to rush you into anything and this time forming a track which shows off the more rock n roll roots of the band. Restrained yet catchy and powerful, this is the sort of track which, when finished, is going to hold a serious amount of potential for becoming a summer anthem, there’s just something about it which makes you want to see it sitting in a field with a cold beer on the go. Communicate follows a similar path, this time reverting us back to the faster side of things to create that sense of urgency once again. Raw and unproduced once again, the charm which oozes out of this track is once again a demonstration of what you can expect from these guys if you see them live, not relying on any effects or a producer to get their sound, instead using their own ability to create their own unique take on rock – and I think it could be a good route to follow!
Closing with Loss and Regret there’s one last chance for the band to show off their ability to craft well written songs and catchy harmonies. The final track is a mixture of the fast and slow from the EP so far, this time opting for the middle ground so what you’re left with is a track which is fast enough to get you involved, yet restrained enough to give you a chance to sing along and become part of what they’re doing – it’s a good ending to a good EP.
It’s hard hearing EP’s like this sometimes as the sound is rough and that can lead to some elements getting lost in the background, but here I don’t know that it matters. The sound that Class Picture have gone for is a restrained take on rock, showing off their heavy roots without overdoing the distortion or power meaning you can hear everything that the band have thrown into their tracks. Personally, I think that with some work and a proper recording session under their belts, this could well be an EP to be looking out for.
To find out more about Class Picture, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with James Morgan there’s an immediate sense of a band who are doing it for the love of doing it, the music doing all of the talking and simply crafting a track which is short, to the point and relatively simple – it’s good to hear! Moving on to Are You Trying To the pace picks up and we’re thrown into a more urgent mix of hammering drums, fast yet restrained guitar lines and strong vocals. The sense of melody running through things here keeps this track alive and interesting, forming a track which is by no means perfect, but when you’ve got music like this you almost dno’t want it to be! The lack of over production or perfection adds a sense of realism to this track, turning it into a track which shows off what you can expect from these guys on the live scene without making any false claims they can’t back up, it’s a nice change to hear to be honest.
One Track Mind follows much the same sort of convention, once again building into the track so as not to rush you into anything and this time forming a track which shows off the more rock n roll roots of the band. Restrained yet catchy and powerful, this is the sort of track which, when finished, is going to hold a serious amount of potential for becoming a summer anthem, there’s just something about it which makes you want to see it sitting in a field with a cold beer on the go. Communicate follows a similar path, this time reverting us back to the faster side of things to create that sense of urgency once again. Raw and unproduced once again, the charm which oozes out of this track is once again a demonstration of what you can expect from these guys if you see them live, not relying on any effects or a producer to get their sound, instead using their own ability to create their own unique take on rock – and I think it could be a good route to follow!
Closing with Loss and Regret there’s one last chance for the band to show off their ability to craft well written songs and catchy harmonies. The final track is a mixture of the fast and slow from the EP so far, this time opting for the middle ground so what you’re left with is a track which is fast enough to get you involved, yet restrained enough to give you a chance to sing along and become part of what they’re doing – it’s a good ending to a good EP.
It’s hard hearing EP’s like this sometimes as the sound is rough and that can lead to some elements getting lost in the background, but here I don’t know that it matters. The sound that Class Picture have gone for is a restrained take on rock, showing off their heavy roots without overdoing the distortion or power meaning you can hear everything that the band have thrown into their tracks. Personally, I think that with some work and a proper recording session under their belts, this could well be an EP to be looking out for.
To find out more about Class Picture, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls