aaamusic | On 17, Jun 2012

Cold Conscience is the new EP from Sheffield prog-pop act Alvarez Kings. The title-track kicks things off in the truest sense of the word, with a direct fast-paced pop blow in the face which captures our attention immediately. Fractured Bones and Reputations continues in this fashion, with more heart-racing hooks of epic proportions. The third track is an acoustic version of Picking Up The Pieces, which is confusingly juxtaposed here; a two-part track of perfectly fantastic making, it is still strident with the surrounding powerful atmosphere, which resumes on closing track The Other Side of Sadness. Nonetheless, this EP shows a band balancing pop-punk and indie-rock with great ease, and one we expect to hear a lot more of in the future.

★★★★★

Chiara Amoretti