THE OCEAN BETWEEN US start off this EP with a promising intro – ‘Nice One Kid, You Just Brought A Knife To A Gun Fight’ builds up to a crescendo as the vocals begin, starting the album off in a steady but militant rhythm. While the EP doesn’t seem to cover any new ground, it consists of five songs of fairly classic ‘screamo’. The combination of sung vocals and harsh screams, with trippy guitars and the occasional electro and drum-led breakdown are the tickboxes of this genre’s release, and The Ocean Between Us don’t disappoint. While there’s not much originality about the songs, the tried and tested formula is performed with confidence and the EP holds together well. Though there are weaker tracks, the album culminates in the highlight of ‘Hearts Of Lions’ – what begins melodically explodes as the song goes on, bringing the album to a blistering close.
JOSIE MARTIN