Single Review: Mid Reflection – Outcast EP

Mid Reflection will announce their arrival on the UK alternative scene with their debut EP, Outcast, that is due to be released on Friday 24th November. Mid Reflection are a London based quartet who have embraced disparate elements of punk, rap, indie, rock and ska and brought them together to produce a unique hybrid, one that fuses the delivery of rap and grime and combines it with the darker elements of indie and punk, and it’s also a release that reflects their influences, that span from Linkin Park and Sublime to Gorillaz and House of Pain.

 

The EP’s title track comes across as a laid back Rage Against The Machine, albeit in a parallel world where that band emerged from the estates of London, this is followed by Illusions that displays a more upbeat feel and positively bursts into life on the chorus. Legalise It is my personal highlight from the Outcast EP, as it boasts an abrasive punk riff that is overlaid with an intense grime delivery. The final track, Foes, brings things to a close with a more laid back delivery and a melodic touch that is married to the kind of autobiographical lyrical style that Eminem displayed on his earlier material.

 

Lyrically Mid Reflection are a band that reflect real life struggles, their lyrical content covers subjects such as bullying, depression and betrayed friendship, that their vocalist, 2T’z, has battled with throughout his life. Whilst the end result isn’t exactly to my taste, this is a modern hybrid of styles with a delivery that has the authentic feel of a band that were born into the modern day urban sprawl of the UK’s capital. The Outcast EP is a release that will appeal to fans of the likes of Sleaford Mods and The Streets and demonstrates the continued blurring of styles that keeps that keeps the UK’s music scene vibrant and original.