Move Back East admits: “being a 5 piece pop-punk band at the moment it’s hard to make yourself stand out”. Ain’t that the truth? Unfortunately for the Salisbury quintet this three-tracker doesn’t offer quite enough to suggest that the band is going to stand out, yet. At times this demo feels like you could be listening to anyone of the plethora of pop-punk purveyors out there: You Me At Six, Kids In Glass Houses, Saving Aimee, Paige; you know the types.
I’m aware this sounds harsh but it’s not meant that way. As a pop-punk outfit Move Back East is more than competent. The songs are catchy and bubbly sounding as they should be. Good choruses mingle nicely with decent verses, tight musicianship and well delivered vocals. Like I say, everything here is neatly tidied into its place, slotting perfectly into the prearranged pop-punk mould. Plenty will like this. Plenty! The market is out there, that’s a given, so how does Move Back East announce itself to the world?
The key is going to be the development of the band. To think this band has only been going for about four months is quite remarkable. If anything it’s this youth that has the potential to carry the band onwards and upwards. It’s a lot easier to amend your band in its infancy, not necessarily taking another direction (I don’t think there’s a need for that) but to find that little something different that will mark the band out.
For now this is a band to check out if you’re really into your pop-punk. Maybe you’re looking for a replacement to Furthest Drive Home, or maybe you want a band to fit efficiently between the staple bands of the genre. Move Back East is that band and maybe, just maybe, have what it takes to ascend the ladder.
Alex