Demos

Bygone - Debut EP

Owain Paciuszko 03/03/2010

Rating: 3/5

Duelling acoustic guitars open this four track EP from this UK duo, and vocals jostle and holler mixing genres with skill; whilst some lines are shouted like despairing anti-folk, others are chanted with optimism and some whispered with an air of The Smashing Pumpkins in mellow mode.

Second track The Salt Mine Mules of Wieliczka opens in similar fashion, with its lyrics derived from Mark Tom Hennesey's poem of the same name. Whilst, as with all the tracks here, there's a strength and personal touch to the lyrics, aided by the impassioned delivery, but the acoustic sound backing them up blurs into one another a little bit, with the arrangments a tad samey here and there. White Fear inparticular passes by making little impact compared to the first two tracks.

Closing track Live For Better Days has a nice upbeat feel, with the lyrics defiantly crying out 'I wasn't born a failure.' One of the two acoustics plays a nice bassier melody alongside the fast strumming, and sends this slight EP off on a pleasant note.

Whilst Bygone do what they do well, there's a little too much blurring of lines across these four tracks, and sustaining longer records or full sets there needs to be some variety to their style and pace, with each of these tracks breezing by pleasantly enough. A fine debut for an act who hopefully shall mature well.