This article was first published on Louder Than War on 1 March 2013.
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There’s a grassroots resurgence in actual, good, melodic hardcore and the sort of emo that makes you think of Idlewild rather than slitting your wrists. Our New Band of the Day, Nottingham’s Some Skeletons, is a great example.
Nottingham-based four-piece Some Skeletons are two years and two EPs into the emotionally charged, brutally melodic hardcore journey. They’re bringing a middle England feel to a genre which bubbled to the fore in the early 2000s and then fizzled away as the mainstream tore away at what had made it great.
Their latest EP ‘And Signs and Ampersands’ is five examples of how great melodic hardcore can be. Bringing to mind the chiming rock and roar of bands like Idlewild and Jimmy Eats World this is a powerful collection that really should be heard.
There are carefully-picked intricate melodies, soft voices and vocal effects that make this more interesting and lift it above other stuff coming through in this style. Of course, like much of this genre (especially the bits before it became a cartoon cliche of itself) Some Skeletons do the loud-quiet-loud thing. But it is with aplomb with purpose, and backed by the vocal harmonies is glorious rather than done-before.
And the melodic juxtaposition goes beyond that base level loud and quiet; there is the haze of melancholia and the blinding clarity of joy, the sharp-saw edge of guitar and the soothing unity of three-part harmonies, a slow build to climax and a collection over far too soon.
All words by Sarah Lay.