Press To Meco’s self titled EP is an ephemeral burst of youthful energy, huge choruses and unexpected experimentation. The EP, which clocks in at under 15 minutes, displays the same frantic exuberance as early You Me AT Six releases, but is no simple pop-punk jaunt. The EP veers off in directions you don’t necessarily expect and helps push it beyond pop-punk by numbers and creates a musical body that owes more to prog-rock bands of the past and early Biffy Clyro than melodic sing-a-longs. Press To Meco’s EP is an exciting breath of fresh air, eager to explore as many different musical ideas in as short a time as possible, and it is this little bit of daring that marks the band as different – their EP is much more enjoyable for it.
Warring influences are at the heart of the release, which manages to blend super melodic tunes into the loose framework of metal tinged riffs and prog rock quirkiness. This hybrid of melody and metal may be in danger of becoming a little repetitive on a full length album, but on this the outlandish elements keeps it fresh, best exemplified on the opener ‘Burning The Reward’. As long as they can continue to explore these influences without losing their initial charm and accessibility, they are sure to become a band to watch in the next few years.
That said, the production of the EP is a little patchy, and the dual vocals don’t always end up complimenting each other because of it. You get the sense that this 3 piece have musical ideas that are not yet fully realised, but this is nothing that should worry Press To Meco just yet – they are minor kinks that can be confidently expected to be ironed out as they strive for a bigger and bolder debut album.
If you’re looking for a band that inhabit the more experimental fringes of melodic rock, than look no further than Press To Meco. A truly enjoyable first offering.
CLARA CULLEN