I’ve seen The First Child play a few times over the last year, so was pretty sure I knew what to expect from this 7-track EP, but when it commenced with Lunacy, You’re So Beautiful, I was nothing short of shocked. The reason for that is these guys are a post hardcore act with stacks of aggression, so to have the album start with gentle vocals and plenty of keyboards was not what I expected at all! They did break it down at one point, but it made me wonder what was to come next. This commenced with a heavy drum pattern which gave way to a single riffing guitar and then we were into Don’t care, didn’t ask, plus you’re dead to me, which was far more like what I had expected. They have plenty of aggression within their music, but they are more than just another shouty hardcore outfit (although there is plenty of that as well), with interesting guitar lines and powerful arrangements. They understand there is a need for lightness to allow the shade to shine, and also allow themselves to have songs which contain multiple sections and different tempos, while never moving too far away from their genre of choice.
Lily Mou is a singer who is more of a frontman than a singer, and here he is at his best when he is putting his soul on the line for all to see. The production has deliberately put drummer Liam Walker quite high in the mix, which allows the listener to hear just how much work he is putting in behind the kit as he is constantly changing patterns to allow the guitarists to mix it up. One disadvantage to this is that the bass of Jacob Levesque Baird is a little behind where it should be (at least to my ears), which is a shame as he is also putting in plenty of nuances. Then we have Georgi Dobrev and Sam Murray who link well, but never allow their guitars to become too raucous. This EP has allowed the whole band to shine, as it is quite different to how they are in the live environment where they throw themselves and their instruments into the music and tend to turn everything up to 11. Here there is more forethought with way more depth, and the result is an introduction to the band which is incredibly varied with a lot going on. The repeated guitar line within You’re Adorable I’m Horrible is in stark contrast to what has gone before and consequently works incredibly well.
If, like me, have seen The First Child in concert and know exactly what to expect from this EP then take it from me, you’re wrong. For fans of post hardcore tinged with emo.
Rating: 6/10
