Kids We Used To Be
We were recently sent through a copy of And We Would Have Gotten Away With It Too from pop-punk unit, Kids We Used To Be. Hailing from Liverpool, the band formed in the summer of 2011 and take their name from the Alexisonfire song, Old Crows. Having already achieved shows with the likes of Kyoto Drive, Man Overboard and Page 44, the band seem to be on the road to achieving something special – so I figured I’d better see what was going on for myself!
Opening with 30 Down there’s an immediate sense of punky fun, the guitars leading the way into a jumpy section full of pounding drum lines, roaring guitar lines and a rumbling bass line that backs everything up. As the vocals come in to take over the lead, the track takes a turn for the heavier side of things, the raucous roars coming out over the top to keep things powerful and straight to the point. Combining the hard hitting distorted vocal line with a soaring clean line, the track seems to hold contrasts within itself, offering moments which are going to get pits going and other moments which are going to get people dancing along to the rhythms from the band. As an opening track, this track offers an insight into the outlook and style of the band, showing that this isn’t going to be a band to underestimate.
Moving into Hey Aqualung the pummelling punky rhythms continue to abound, the track once again getting off to a heavy start which pulls you in and makes you get involved with the sound. Full to the brim with catchy hooks, this is a track which is going to secure these guys as a band to check out, it’s got that approach which is going to kill on the live scene and make the audience join in and stand beside the band. Following on with Nothing Good Happens After 2AM (it’s a good point actually…), the beat continues to keep you moving, offering a more off beat approach at first but soon descending into the post punk approach of the band to keep the listener engaged and on board. This is another track which has been crafted for the live scene, the sort of thing which is going to be perfect on a sunny afternoon with a beer in hand, chanting along to the song and enjoying every second of it. Personally, this is my favourite track off of the EP, but that’s purely down to my own personal taste, I love this track.
Closing with Man, I Hate Your Friends (Demo) there’s one last snippet of goodness on offer from the band, producing a track which shows off the more mainstream roots of the band and demonstrating that this is a group which could easily receive some serious radio play. Full to the brim with soaring vocal lines combined with hammering guitar rhythms, pounding drum lines and that awesome backing bassline, this is another track which is going to make people sit up and take note, showing once again that there’s a new group on the block about to take the world of music and turn it upside down.
I like the sound that Kids We Used To Be have gone for as they’ve managed to combine the catchiness of pop-punk with the sheer power of alternative rock, resulting in a sound which can’t be taken at face value and will leave you wondering why you’ve not heard of these guys before. Moments on this EP are heavy, other moments are melodic and carefully formed, but throughout there’s a sense that the guys in the band know what they’re doing and are going to achieve their goal of domination within the not too distant future – one to look out for.
To find out more about Kids We Used To Be, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with 30 Down there’s an immediate sense of punky fun, the guitars leading the way into a jumpy section full of pounding drum lines, roaring guitar lines and a rumbling bass line that backs everything up. As the vocals come in to take over the lead, the track takes a turn for the heavier side of things, the raucous roars coming out over the top to keep things powerful and straight to the point. Combining the hard hitting distorted vocal line with a soaring clean line, the track seems to hold contrasts within itself, offering moments which are going to get pits going and other moments which are going to get people dancing along to the rhythms from the band. As an opening track, this track offers an insight into the outlook and style of the band, showing that this isn’t going to be a band to underestimate.
Moving into Hey Aqualung the pummelling punky rhythms continue to abound, the track once again getting off to a heavy start which pulls you in and makes you get involved with the sound. Full to the brim with catchy hooks, this is a track which is going to secure these guys as a band to check out, it’s got that approach which is going to kill on the live scene and make the audience join in and stand beside the band. Following on with Nothing Good Happens After 2AM (it’s a good point actually…), the beat continues to keep you moving, offering a more off beat approach at first but soon descending into the post punk approach of the band to keep the listener engaged and on board. This is another track which has been crafted for the live scene, the sort of thing which is going to be perfect on a sunny afternoon with a beer in hand, chanting along to the song and enjoying every second of it. Personally, this is my favourite track off of the EP, but that’s purely down to my own personal taste, I love this track.
Closing with Man, I Hate Your Friends (Demo) there’s one last snippet of goodness on offer from the band, producing a track which shows off the more mainstream roots of the band and demonstrating that this is a group which could easily receive some serious radio play. Full to the brim with soaring vocal lines combined with hammering guitar rhythms, pounding drum lines and that awesome backing bassline, this is another track which is going to make people sit up and take note, showing once again that there’s a new group on the block about to take the world of music and turn it upside down.
I like the sound that Kids We Used To Be have gone for as they’ve managed to combine the catchiness of pop-punk with the sheer power of alternative rock, resulting in a sound which can’t be taken at face value and will leave you wondering why you’ve not heard of these guys before. Moments on this EP are heavy, other moments are melodic and carefully formed, but throughout there’s a sense that the guys in the band know what they’re doing and are going to achieve their goal of domination within the not too distant future – one to look out for.
To find out more about Kids We Used To Be, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls