These Five Years – The ‘How It’s Been’ EP.
These Five Years – Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
Based in Cardiff, These Five Years are a Pop-Punk band currently riding the wave of their most recently EP, How It’s Been, which through its short and sharp four-track delivery manages to both exemplify the current trend in UK-styled Pop-Punk and at the same time show a band well in-touch with the classics of the genre.
‘Aporia’ takes very faintly EasyCore toned guitars, classic Pop-Punk tempo and strong British styled vocals alongside an anthem of disaffection looming over just enough hope. The track rumbles along on thick bass-lines and precise intricate lead-strings showing the band’s more recent influences from the now expansive Pop-Punk history book.
‘Have I Said Enough’ slows the tempo to mid-pace with thick jagged EasyCore-esque riffs crossed with the rockier end of the genre before the band can’t resist pangs for a faster track in the verses. Again the layered and precise guitar work of the band is notable here as despite the well-rounded cohesive sound, each member’s effort is well-heard.
The band’s lyricisms are also of note here, they are very obviously and typically within Pop-Punk songwriting but through both the delivery from vocalist Harry and the music itself the cathartic bare-honesty is delivered more maturely while still capturing the youthful exuberance of modern Pop-Punk. Or something like that.
‘Leave Everything’ could go either way in regard to its oncoming tempo with its staggered but well executed intro. Of course the track does eventually fall to faster pace for the second half of the intro before a fluctuating battle between fast and slow ensues for the rest of the song. This lead single from the EP was well chosen by These Five Years in that it resembles that classic 90’s and oh-so influential Pop-Punk structure built from updated parts. Again, each member is well-heard and received in another emotively driven and maturely delivered contemporary Pop-Punk track.
Closing is the insanely quotable ‘Walmgate Stray’ which provides the band’s own variant in the ever-going sonic battle between the Human and the hating of a town. Stylistically speaking the band again bridge the old and the new with the fast, stripped down rhythms and floating modern lead guitar carry the track forward to a classic dare I say New Found Glory-esque breakdown before the Pop-Rock sensibilities of UK Pop-Punk play you out to a full and harmonic vocal output.
‘I pack the car, to drive away
to burst the boy stuck in the bubble’
How It’s Been is a solid first effort for These Five Years and the way they are going, the next instalment will likely be even better.
Find them:
- Social Media/Updates: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
- Music: bandcamp, Spotify, Google Play, iTunes/Apple Music.
#StayFresh
