This is a really tricky one to review, because in glimpses Kill The Arcade show they have some real talent, yet in others they sound like every other wannabe emo band around. And because of that, I’ve had to give a sit-on-the-fence score to reflect the fact I’m not really sure what to write. Two songs on ‘This is what we call a conflict‘ really stand out – the EPs title track and the wonderful ‘Keep Strong, Stand Fast’, two songs that take elements of bands such as Hidden In Plain View and June and mash them up with plenty of singalong choruses. But while those two tracks are four-star worthy, the remaining three aren’t quite as hot.
And that’s the frustrating thing about KTA – you get the feeling they’re a very good band waiting to happen, yet their talent isn’t quite as well executed as it could be. Two impressive tracks out of five isn’t the best ratio by any means, but if the band can write a clutch of tunes as good as these then they’re in business. While ‘This is what we call a conflict‘ is a little hit-and-miss, I’ll err on the side of caution and say I think this lot can do better, but that’s only because they’ve set themselves some pretty high standards. Consistency is now the key.
www.myspace.com/killthearcade
paul