Dead Harts were always a promising band in the UK Hardcore scene but never quite got their break. Now members of the band are back with a new project that sees them heading in a new direction. The Family ditches hardcore for something a bit more melodic. Drawing heavily from grunge, Welcome To The Family is a great introduction to what this band are all about.
Immediately fuzzed out guitar riffs hit and show just how different this is to the members previous work. Matt Baxendale’s snarled vocal delivery is a big contrast to his screams but has just as much attitude. Opening track “Ain’t Gonna Happen Like That” sounds like it was ripped straight from the early 90’s. This is a band who really seem to understand what makes a good grunge song, rather than just being pretenders. Rather than just pure aggression, The Family place a greater focus on providing some catchy vocal hooks. “My Kinda Scum” demonstrates this best with a chorus that will quickly find itself worming into the listeners ear.
Lead single “Radio Headphones” is the EP’s standout moment. With Matt spitting out every lyric with so much attitude. Even with this being more melodic, there is nothing nice about his vocal performance. He snarls his way through every song sounding genuinely angry about just about everything. Even confessing “I find it really hard to sing about positive things” on “Nightmares and Daydreams”.
The Family’s influences are clear for everyone to hear on this EP and this lack of originality does hold the EP back a little. It never feels completely derivative and even if it isn’t totally original, the quality is still high. The EP just sounds so raw and it’s clear just how much love the members love grunge. At only four songs this is just a taster of what is to come from The Family. The Family have plenty of potential to deliver something brilliant and it’s just nice to see these guys get a second chance with a new band.
Welcome To The Family is released on the 19th of May and is being self-released by the band.
