The Beautiful Somewhere - EP

Soldiers on the front line

There's nothing e-Mo Magazine loves more than home grown talent, and the UK seems to be bursting at the seams with it at the moment. The latest pop-punk flowers to bloom are Birmingham quintet, FrontLine.

These up-and-comers are sure to win fans nationwide when they support Army of Freshmen on their UK tour this June, and we got a taster of what to expect from the guys with their EP The Beautiful Somewhere.

The record opens with 'For the Long Run', an upbeat track that has “radio-friendly” stamped all over it – and this is no bad thing. The song kicks off with a punchy guitar intro, played with the same frantic enthusiasm as your little bro beating one off over a copy of Nuts, which sets the pace for the rest of the energetic EP.

With a verse that's keen not to outstay its welcome, ‘For the Long Run’ quickly leads into the chorus's killer hook “Once again I turn my head, break my back in two but I blame you again” that we guarantee you'll be humming all day long.

A triumphant introduction to the band, which smoothly segways into the toe-tapping 'Phone Home'. Like a slap of sunshine around the face, the track opens with the kind of riff that has your dad thrashing around on his air-guitar, and throwing up the horns in a shameful fashion.

Then the rhythm starts up, and we are firmly back in punk territory; listeners will soon be bopping their heads in time with this catchy, if faintly familiar, slice of friendly punk-pop.  Liam's vocals are solid, encouraging the listener to wind down the car windows, slide the dial up to 11, and revel in the approving nods you get from passers by. Whilst this pleasant choon won’t pull up any trees, it might just leave you in the mood for ice-cream. 

'Sixes and Sevens' keeps the energy at Duracell Bunny levels, and will no doubt be a crowd pleaser with the kind of chorus that'll have fans singing along at the top of their lungs, Nokia's swaying in the air, as the gig comes to a close. The song gently winds-down with a piano solo; an unexpected touch and something we hope to hear more off in their forthcoming debut album.

Finally, FrontLine put on their Santa hats with 'A Year Ago Today'; a festive ditty about finding love at Xmas. Although the cheery tune threatens to step into McFly territory at times (take that as you will), you can't help but smile at this slightly cynical song. We love the line “I used to hate Christmas parties; girls acting drunk of one Bacardi” - that's a Christmas jingle we can buy in to, although we have to admit it’s a little hard to get into the festive spirit in May.

In all, The Beautiful Somewhere is an accomplished showcase for the band, and it’s certainly left us salivating for more when they release their debut album later this year.