EP: “The First Marker” by Xander Allen & The Keys

Alternative rock trio Xander Allen & The Keys formed last year in Bournemouth after frontman Xander recruited bassist Lee Hammond and drummer Marko Owen. Xander had been mainly playing as a solo artist in local venues and after advice from manager Luke Adams, decided to form the band. The band have been very busy performing at a host of venues all around the Dorset and Hampshire area, performing original material and a selection of cleverly reworked covers.

Their hard work ethics and great live performances are fast building them a large and loyal fan base who regularly attend their many gigs. The band have recently taken to the studio to record the difficult debut EP “The 1st Marker”. Previously the band had provided their followers with only a few samples of only a few rough demo tracks, but this time the new EP has been professionally recorded.

The band have been clever in creating an EP of 5 songs that are all very different in their own way. However, they have laid down an outlining unique style that sets this band apart from the rest. When you listen to the songs there is no one over-riding influence, as there seems to be influences arriving from a number of directions. The songs are clean, clear and very easy to listen to with a radio friendly quality about them. A few listens through will have you singing along without any troubles, particularly “Different Lies” and “Shoebox Alley”. “Shivers” is a beast of a song that starts in a slow burning way, building up to a great crescendo of driving guitars.

The EP closes with the slower “Roll On Thunder”, with yet more infectious lyrics to leave in your head. Overall this EP gets a big thumbs up from me and having seen the band live a few times, I can more than recommend you go and see them as they put on one great show.