EP Review: RCKLSS – So Cynical

This review is going to be the classic compliment sandwich. Let’s start with the bottom slice of bread. In So Cynical, RCKLSS have produced a piece of work that shows a complex understanding of the craft of making rock music. There is much to admire in the musical smarts on display here and this EP really demonstrates a depth of talent for writing and arranging songs. The band are also to be commended for not confining themselves to a narrow musical palette, and that should help them find that distinctive edge they will need to rise above what appears to be the fairly crowded power/emo/pop/punk pool they are swimming in.  And there’s the problematical filling: RCKLSS hail from Brighton, but they occupy an airspace that is mid-Atlantic. Maybe it’s the vocal phrasing. So Cynical sounds American. That’s not a bad thing, because the bands setting this scene like All Time Low have proved the market for this kind of emotionally-charged guitar pop. But the band face the classic genre dilemma: dare you be too different and lose a pre-warmed audience? That’s a question RCKLSS will have to ask themselves.

The top slice of the sandwich? There is plenty here to suggest a bright future for this band. Fantastic songs that are emotionally charged, brilliantly played (and recorded – credit to whoever was behind the desk). Lyrically introspective and self-deprecating as seems to be the mode these days. I particularly enjoyed the reverberant piano intro for Struggle and this song alone demonstrates a strong awareness of the power of dynamics and the band’s songcraft. The standout track, however, is the anthemic closing track Empty Space that will bring a tear to a manscara-ed glass eye any day of the week. It reminded me of some of The Church‘s more introspective moments and that’s not a comparison to be made lightly. Poetic and straining with controlled power, I look forward to more from this band.

RCKLSS‘s website is here and you can find them on Facebook here

So Cynical is out now.