Albums

EP Review: Smudge

[EP: StayFeelRegret]
[Label: The Animal Farm]

‘StayFeelRegret’ is the debut EP from Wigan-based 5-piece Smudge. Newly signed to the rather eclectic label The Animal Farm (home to the likes of Rosalita, Ejectorseat and Tara Blaise), Smudge have been touring and playing shows in the UK with the likes of Gallows, The Used, The Blackout and Aiden. I have to confess despite the high-profile support slots (and an appearance at Taste Of Chaos last year according to their press-release) I had not heard of these guys before this record was shoved into my eager hands. However I figured if all of the above is true then I should have known to expect something rather promising from this EP and this turned out to be the case.

Smudge’s sound can be firmly placed in the club friendly indie-punk-rock camp but instead of just making up the numbers on the dancefloor they have a real chance of bidding to orchestrate proceedings. All 3 tracks on this EP are bursting at the seams with youthful exuberance and the kind of fun-laced earnest sadly lacking from many of their peers. Hook-laden and riff-tastic guitars compete with some fantastically-delivered vocals for your wide-eyed attention and it has to be said this all sounds impressively accomplished for a debut release. My gut reaction is that this is slightly over-produced and a bit too polished but I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now until an album and/or a live show can be introduced to my ears.

The best song on offer here is probably the title-track, ‘StayFeelRegret’, with the chorus vocal melody of “why did you have to go now, why could you not have stayed” not leaving my head for the past 5 days. Ok, it’s nothing incredibly profound but it is clearly from the heart and to be fair: it will melt a thousand girls’ hearts. The tune also shows just how good this band is at making a simple structure and melody sound huge, memorable and exciting.

If Smudge can continue to develop and progress than we should expect to see them rubbing shoulders with the likes of fellow UK bands Furthest Drive Home, You Me At Six and Kids In Glass Houses in the near future. A full album of this quality could potentially see them become the flag-bearers of a fast-growing scene and one of only a handful of UK bands able to compete with the Americans at their own game. And all this without any faux pas accents on show either. Mightily impressive stuff indeed.

For Fans Of: Furthest Drive Home, Kids In Glass Houses, You Me At Six

Band Link:
Smudge

Update: Tour Dates
16th Sept – PJ Malloys, Dunfermline
17th Sept – The Whistle Binkies, Edinburgh
8th Sept – Bar Bloc, Glasgow
19th Sept – The Canteen, Cumbria
20th Sept – Riggers, Newcastle under Lyme
22nd Sept – The Shed, Leicester
23rd Sept – Music Box, Manchester
1st Oct – The Ringside, Hull
2nd Oct – Fylde College, Lancaster
3rd Oct – The Brief, Croydon
7th Nov – Jillys Rock World, Manchester
22nd Nov – The Lounge Bar, Bridlington
27th Nov – Bar Academy, Birmingham

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