EP: “Selfish Scars” by Beyond Recall

You may not have heard of Bristolian alt-rockers Beyond Recall, although they have been in existence since 2010. Their videos have been played on Kerrang! TV, they have completed several UK headline tours and have also supported the likes of Young Guns, so it’s no surprise that seven track “Selfish Scars” is their second EP.

Getting straight in with the first track, “140 Characters” starts off strong, with a good, solid riff and some big noise. I have to say I’m not a big fan of the vocals; it sounds somewhat out of tune and jars with the track. However, it does get slightly better as time goes on. Perhaps it’s meant to sound like that.

Next up is title track, the romping ‘Selfish Scars’, sounding upbeat and lively and is followed swiftly by the delightful ‘Get It Right’. The pace slows slightly with the stompy ‘Onlies’, which reminded me of fellow alt-rock bands, The First and Diamond Days, with some of the effects used on the track.

Track five, ‘Almost’ is more of the same, with some nice introductory riffage and some strong drums carrying the track along nicely. Penultimate song, “Tomorrow”, is a little different, with a huge intro but then slowing right down for a more introspective verse, before coming back with a big chorus.

The last track, an alternative version of ‘Almost’ is possibly the best one. It’s a sort of semi-acoustic, slightly funky, pared down effort which makes a good closer. This is the sort of song that comes out of a post-party, 2.00 am jam session when everyone is feeling mellow and a little bit sleepy and I really liked it.

Overall, this EP is quite pleasing; however the only point I would make (and it’s not a criticism, more of an observation) is that sometimes Zaid is trying too hard with the vocals, which can sound quite forced. You could it put down to enthusiasm, but there are a couple of occasions where it sounds almost unpleasant on the ear. However, “Selfish Scars” is a tightly composed, neat little package and I’m sure that BR’s fans will love it.