Kick Inside - Ever the Optimist

by Tommy Gunnarsson

published: 29 / 1 / 2012

Label: Big Pink Records
Format: CDS

Fine six song EP from Bristol-based band the Kick Inside which, while lacking the same energy of their live performances, puts life back into the indie pop genre

Review

As I have mentioned in my last few reviews for Pennyblackmusic, I have grown bored with the current indiepop scene, mostly because all the bands sounds more or less the same, and there are few bands that manage to catch my interest. But every now and then, this still happens, and the last time I can remember was in November of 2010, when I was in London to play with the band I was a member of at the time. Among the other bands that played with us that night was the Kick Inside, a four-piece from Bristol, who had just released a 7” single at that time. But when I saw them play in that small pub basement in Clerkenwell, I really enjoyed them, and when I saw them play again the next evening in their hometown, I enjoyed them even more. Sadly, for me, it has taken more than a year since then for them to record their next record, the 6-song EP 'Ever the Optimist'. All the songs here were played in London and Bristol (I think), and they are fantastic songs! The band is great too, with Sean Price’s excellent vocals, Thomas Aherne’s lovely, jangly guitars and James Dyke’s melodic bass lines. But there is something missing. At first I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but after a while it struck me: I miss the energy of the live performance. As so many bands before them, the Kick Inside didn’t really manage to capture the energy of their gigs, which is a shame. But, I must say that this is a great EP, nevertheless. And, above all, they made me believe in indiepop again. Hallelujah!