Calm As The Colour – When Traditions No Longer Answer Questions EP

The fife-based four-piece are back with an almighty, albeit clichéd, bang in 2013. Their second EP, When Traditions No Longer Answer Questions, may sound like it’s some sort of anti-establishment pop from the title, but it’s more Oasis than Sex Pistols.

The five-track effort opens with Windows, a spot-on track full of no-nonsense rock n roll. It’s followed by the equally massive The Light Is Rising. The driving drumbeat and punchy chorus are sure to cement the track as a crowd-pleasing favourite, and killer line “the weight of your worth is in your soul” is something which Noel Gallagher will surely be furious that he didn’t coin first.

Calm As The Colour’s vocalist Darren Roy has a voice that is basically cough syrup for the ear; smooth and calming, and you ultimately feel better after listening to it. There’s no better example of this than on track number three, A Little Precarious. A melancholy tale of losing your way, Roys vocal wraps a beautiful melody around the track.

The EP ends on a whimsical note, with the line “flowers on the hill fade of free will,” which is fitting for the band’s sound. Track Flowers On The Hill itself is reminiscent of a scaled-back Champagne Supernova. It even has an obligatory rock n roll count-in on the record.

When Traditions No Longer Answer Questions is a mesmerising EP that should definitely be the soundtrack to the four days of summer we get this year. Definitely one to check out if you’re a fan of The Las, Oasis or anything reminiscent of 90s guitar music.

calmasthecolour.bandcamp.com