Norwich 5 piece Lightscape are gearing up for the release of their second EP in the coming days and with most single, Running, being promoted by areas such as BBC Introducing and a video for the track recently being released there is a feeling that the band is on the up in the broad UK alt rock scene. Having recorded the album with Oz Craggs at Hidden Track Studios and starting to sort out live dates across the country there seems to be a lot of momentum with the group and this album is set to continue that.
The EP opens with lead single Running and wastes absolutely no time in showcasing the songwriting ability and talent of guitarists Sam Nichol and Ben Ashcroft. The work or these two musicians combined with the rhythm section means that there is much more than a simple alt rock sound to this EP, with a much heavier landscape being made for vocalist Will Overton to show off his encapsulating voice, as it is his voice that really brings an alt rock feel to this track and the overall sound of the band with the rest of the music presenting itself in a much heavier way. The chorus in this song is especially well written with the vocals sounding huge and the guitar melody being brilliantly written, songwriting brilliance.
The next track is a much more simple alt rock affair in the form of You Leave Me Here. With a slower and more vocally focused first minute or so, the track comes in a bit more after the chorus as drums kick in before totally building up to the second chorus, where the song soars. The chorus is huge, with Overton’s vocals really showing off here as he leads the band through the rest of the song. The guitar line in the bridge is also very well written and the finale of the song comes across as massive. As good as this song is(and it is really fucking good), the band are much better when there is more to the songwriting and the heavier avenues are explored.
They explore this most on the finale track of this short EP which is Blinded By The Light. The song opens with an incredibly heavy riff that some djent bands would even be proud of before going a bit more on the alt rock side of things that leads into an incredible build that starts with the pre chorus (something so big it’s amazing to think there is more to come) before the actual chorus blows the listener away. This song again highlights how important the guitarists and rhythm section are to this band as they make the band so much more than an alt rock outfit and present a band that offer so much more to a stagnating genre.
This EP, despite being only 3 tracks long, is one of my favourite alt rock releases of the year for a number of reasons. Firstly, the experimentation and attempts to expand their genre is more than admirable and greatly successful. The ability of the guitarists songwriting abilities is also second to none and the songs themselves are just very well written in general. Surely a band to watch out for in the future.
9/10 – Brilliant experimentation and songwriting
Highlight – Blinded By The Light