EP: “Broken Jaw” by Light You Up

When a band’s biography mentions sharing the stage with the likes of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, A Loss For Words and Less Than Jake as well as working on their new EP with outstanding producer Romesh Dodangoda (The Blackout, Kids In Glass Houses, Lostprophets) you instantly feel excited.

Quite rightly so too, as Birmingham based five piece, Light You Up have been stirring up something special for a while now. Their upcoming tour with pop punk heroes A Loss For Words will make a perfect platform for the release of their new EP “Broken Jaw” which has already received promising reviews from the likes of Kerrang and Metal Hammer.

From the off, the mature, outlandish and potent sounds of lead single “Foxfire” manage to sweep me off my feet through its unique charm. Pop rock is often bestowed as a desperate plea of emotions, but this band manage to tower above plenty other worthy bands in their genre through their warm sound, which avoids scraping the boundaries of the eccentric. This warm glow continues to flourish throughout the four tracks on offer, truly teasing us with a mere taste of a full length from this band. Tom Napier’s vocal prowess never halts, as I fondly remember his live performance matching his quality on this record, which coincides perfectly with infectious harmonies. Ending on the stripped down “Lifebox”, there’s a touch of genuine sincere emotion through the ending lyric “I will always be haunted by your dreams” which tops off a superb debut.

Although there isn’t enough here to suggest that they are the complete pop rock outfit, this short offering does showcase a serious amount of potential. This EP will not leave this bands expectant critics disappointed, as “Broken Jaw” manages to capture innovative melodies which soar above the heights of many more experienced members of their field.