OUR PEOPLE VERSUS YOURS

Formed in 2008, Essex quintet Our People Versus Yours have already released two EPs and what's claimed to be a mini-EP (a mini-EP...do they mean single?!), and here's their latest release, another EP simply titled 'Lights'. The press sheet tagline would have you believe they're a metalcore act, an oft-used semi-put-down label for many a band in the current scene as it's one that suggests pure genericism. However, the band choose to describe their style as post-hardcore/progressive/ambient/metal. There are occasional metalcore traits to be heard on 'Lights' but, true to Our People Versus Yours' own chosen genre labels, their compositions strike quite an engaging balance between said styles. And as tracks meander through these changing elements, they switch fluently between all-out raw aggression and richly melodic passages with frontman Joe Miles alternating his vocal delivery from hardcore growls to some slightly discordant clean singing. Despite the diversity at work on 'Lights', and I'd probably be more accurate by calling it quasi-diversity as the four songs seem somehow formulaic with little differentiation between each one. Sure, they're different in parts, but without trying to aurally distinguish exactly what discrete instrumentations constitute each of the songs, I get the overwhelming impression that I'm hearing the same track four times over through a casual listen. That's not such a great thing with an EP that has a playing time of less than thirteen minutes as it's such a small amount of time for a band to prove their worth and encourage listeners to check out their future releases. Still, there's a lot of promise on show here and if the clean vocals were not quite as dissonant then I might have even scored this slightly higher.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Self-released

EP

LIGHTS

Review by Mark Holmes

RUNNING TIME:

12:38

RELEASE DATE:

21st Nov 2011

TRACK LISTING

1) Lights
2) Ariah
3) I've Had Better Days
4) In Unity

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

UK

"...tracks...switch fluently between all-out raw aggression and richly melodic passages..."