Occasionally you hear a band that, from the moment the opening chords ring out, you instantly become excited and want to tell anyone who might give a damn about. That is exactly how I felt when Bellevue Days landed in my inbox. Without a doubt ‘The Sun Came Up When We Were Young’ is one of the most accomplished and compelling debut EPs I’ve heard in quite some time.‘Let’s All Be Friends’ kicks things off with atmospheric guitars and intimate vocals that slowly build with plucky drums and swirling melodies, before bursting with radiancy as vocalist Alan Smith cries out “the sun came up when we were young”. It’s a delightful opener that easily gives way to ‘Capability, Capacity’. Intertwining guitars lead to a brief moment of anger before being held back by the quartet’s well-timed intimacy. It nicely ebbs and flows between abrupt loud, boisterous moments and equally brief, intimate sections. In just under three minutes, Bellevue Days produce a devastatingly good display of grunge-tinged alternative rock.
The aforementioned intimacy is something of a consistent on ‘The Sun Came Up…’ Third track ‘Seattle’ opens with muted guitars and is complimented by Smith’s words of female ignorance, yet evolves into a playful indie-esque number with an upbeat tempo and “woo ooh ooh”s. Despite Smith’s tale of hurt and frustration, ‘Seattle’ is one of the EP’s most buoyant moments.
‘Sleep’ rounds off the EP in a consistent manner, with it’s brooding guitars and airy vocals building to a bleak but plucky mid-section. Stabbing guitars support Bellevue Days’ close-knit vocals that gradually allow them to become unhinged; rolling drumwork and thriving guitars.
Understandably this EP only offers a glimpse of what Bellevue Days are about; they’ve already completed work on EP #2, it does show the Croydon four-piece have a clear understanding of how to grab the listeners attention instantly and keep them interested from start to finish. Throughout there is a well-balanced mix of quiet and loud moments that come off as organic.
By this point you’d think I’d be giving ‘The Sun Came Up…’ full marks but like a lot of music these days, it’s not entirely original. Throughout there are hints of bands like The Xcerts, Moose Blood, Brand New and Manchester Orchestra. However at its core is a band that has youthful exuberance with worldly musical craftsmanship. With a set of songs as proficient as those on ‘The Sun Came Up…’, it won’t be long until Bellevue Days will be held in the same light as their peers. A splendid introduction to a band with a bright future.
4.5/5
‘The Sun Came Up When We Were Young’ EP by Bellevue Days is released on 27th July.
Bellevue Days links: Website|Facebook|Twitter
Words by Sean Reid (@SeanReid86)
