This band use to be Atticus, and I can definitely see why they have decided to change their name because like I said when I wrote the review of their demo – this moniker shares its name with the Blink 182 clothing company of Mark Hoppus and Tom Delonge and really gave the wrong impression about the band. Quartershade are far from being the Pop Punk band that their old name appeared to associate them with, and the new name definitely represents their Indie Rock sort of sound a lot better.
There is a definite Idlewild influence on this band and the energy and excitement of previous Idlewild albums really comes through in their sound. There are three amazing tracks here that the band glides through seemingly effortlessly with their awesome guitar work, strong bass lines, and truly inspirational vocals. This band they play their instruments with a passion, and the vocals are truly heartfelt – you can really tell that the band believes in what they are playing and the vocalist believes in what he is singing about. This CD is crammed full of raw, energetic, and exciting tracks that will never disappoint with their truly astounding sound. My favourite track on this CD is probably the final track ‘Swim’ as I feel that it is on this track that the band really comes through at their best. It is the perfect end to the EP and really ends the CD on a high leaving you craving for more. It’s one of the most exciting and inspiring tracks that I have heard for a long time now, and I would say that it is on a par, if not greater than some of Idlewild’s classics.
I can really see this band being massive before long – I know I said this last time, and it still hasn’t happened for the band yet but I’m sure that if they carry on like they are at the moment, and continue to improve and progress at such a pace then they could even hit the mainstream before long. This band definitely has a lot of talent and if they can just get the push that they’re so obviously deserving of then they will be huge sooner rather than later.
Rating:
UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.
