Single Review: Daves – Call It A Lie EP

Daves, who surprisingly don’t actually contain a single Dave, are set to release the Call It A Lie EP via the Leeds DIY label One Step Outside Records on the 13th April, and as with all the releases that come out of the Yorkshire based label, this is in your face, raw, urgent and frantic DIY punk rock. The Call It A Lie EP features four brand new tracks from the trio of non Daves that will be available on CD and digital formats on what seems to be one of the most popular release dates on the calendar, Friday the 13th.

Good Enough kicks things straight into gear with a hardcore blast that only just crosses the one minute mark, Change does exactly that as it brings another side of Daves to the fore, this carries the same raw quality but it’s leans more towards post punk and for some reason makes me think this is what The Only Ones would sound like if they’d had a go at hardcore after a few beers. Bad Tattoos is the highlight of the Call It A Lie EP, it’s possesses a stunning fist pumping riff that pushes the energy levels back into the red, the EP closes with the title track that offers a further facet to Daves, this tortured slow burner builds to a frenzied climax and brings the EP to a dark finale.

The Call It A Lie EP is a showcase for Daves as each song has a very distinct quality, from frantic hardcore, through post punk and of course good old fashioned punk rock. Daves have delivered an EP that carries all the passion and raw energy that I’ve come to associate with the Yorkshire labels output, and it makes me wonder what exactly they are putting the water, or maybe the beer, in the county that lies just over the Pennine Mountains from me, as One Step Outside Records are living and breathing proof that the grass roots punk scene is thriving on that side of the hills.

The Call It A Lie EP can be pre-ordered via One Step Outside Records here