Pouring every ounce of creativity, energy and money you have to create the best record you can is hard enough for any young band. But to go through that and then see burglary at the studio jeopardise it all is devastating. Not however for Manchester’s Landmarks who rose above just that to create an EP even more special then we’ve long suspected they were capable of.

EPs don’t get much more aptly named then ’In Spite Of It All’ and in its five tracks they’ve created something that seamlessly blends the vigour and urgency of early You Me At Six with the immediacy, soul and maturity of pop-rock heavyweights Mayday Parade. Sure, particularly on the middle few tracks, they stick pretty closely to the quieter slow verse, crushing chorus swell formula. But they nail it with an aplomb far beyond their years.

’Transluscent’, ‘Friend Of Mine’ and ‘With Clarity’ all combine confident, dynamic writing that intertwine crisp power chords and ringing melodic riffs with self-affirming, defiant lyrics that batter at the heartstrings and wave two fingers firmly at adversity. While the crescendos of energy and feeling are as on point as it’s possible to be.

There’s no simpler way of putting it then to say that ’In Spite Of It All’ makes for utterly addictive listening. It’s thoughtful, instantly relatable and wears its heart on its sleeve to such an extent you can’t help but love it. At a time when US labels are routinely picking up UK bands to be the new stars of their rosters, there is something really wrong if Landmarks aren’t the next british band to call the likes of Pure Noise or Fearless their home. They’re more than ready for it. An album full of tracks this good and who knows where it could take them.

4.5/5

‘In Spite Of It All’ EP by Landmarks is released on August 12th on Scylla Records.

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Words by Dane Wright (@MrDaneWright)