AWmusic

Judging from the title I was expecting an EP a little more outrageous and fun, as with most powerpop bands. While there are elements of such a style lingering in their songs, I found the general tone to be a little more on the emo side, whilst still being a far cry from emo music let that be clear. Nothing To Hide is track numero uno and a very decent song. It was a little more aggressive than I had expected, mostly attributed to the grungy guitar work and drums. Needless to say I was actually impressed with the instrumentals despite the rather average melody, they sounded very talented as compared to other bands in the genre. With a lack of range, the vocals could use a bit of work, but otherwise they were good and most importantly fitting to the music. While this song didn’t really get me pumped up, there is a reason I decided to review this EP.

Step It Out, Sweat It Out is an amazing song and second on the docket. By far my favourite track off the EP, it unleashed a side to First Class Fever a tad more pop. After getting through the rather grungy intro and the initial verse, we get into a catchy bridge leading to an even more addictive chorus. The lyrics are well thought out and well delivered, comparable to some of my favourite powerpop bands. As soon as the piano kicks in, I was absolutely won over, and this is the reason I felt First Class Fever would be a highly competitive band in the future. The synths worked well with the aggressive instrumentals to balance out the power and the pop and I thought this song used elements of powerpop that showed true potential. From the melody to the lyrics it was well thought out and translated into a track worth checking out.

The rest of the EP had songs similar in fashion but just narrowly missing the mark in standard. Outlaw had clever lyrics, but at the same time I felt the song was a little too cliché and directed to a much younger audience. The delivery in Outlaw was also a bit awkward but I thought the synths worked out really well. Mind Over Matter suffered the same sort of problems, but I much preferred the lyrics and the vocals in this song. Audelynn stepped it up big to finish the EP, sounding very professional and elegant. The vocals were pretty amazing in this track combined with the backup vocals, which erected some of the emotions that separate this brand of powerpop from others.

While the rest of tracks are still a good listen, I found Step It Out Sweat It Out and Audelynn the only two which stood out and could compete on the highest level of mainstream powerpop. Obviously still being a young band, it is an EP they should truly be proud of since the talent is undoubtedly there. I look forward to hearing a more refined First Class Fever, and hopefully an improved band over the years.

Check out their Myspace for official tour dates and album info.

First Class Fever – Step It Out Sweat It Out
First Class Fever – Audelynn

Tags: EP