When you set out a musical map of Britain in your mind, it instantly jumps to the big cities that are the hotbeds of talent and success. However, every once in a while, provincial towns can produce something quite special. Hailing from the quiet Cambridgeshire town of Peterborough, Tu Amore bring us a truly wonderful brand of progressive, dynamic and forward-thinking post-hardcore, encapsulated on this self-titled (once translated from Italian into English) début release.
A mere year old as a band, this four-piece have hit upon a vein combining vast, cinematic and sprawling soundscapes with a considered, mature approach to songwriting that here plays out over 7 tracks. ‘I’m A Mess’ kicks off proceedings in fine fettle, hurtling through frantic, bombastic riffage and atmospheric bridging, culminating in an exhilarating finish. Lead singer Ben Mackareth proves he has a fair old pair of pipes on him, switching almost effortlessly between a mighty, throat scratching yell and a gorgeous, soaring clean vocal. This EP is not afraid to lay bare its intentions to experiment; after a frenzied opening, ’Bird In A Cage’ takes on a more relaxed, considered approach, and builds steadily over its 6 minute running time. Like latter-day Thrice and Balance And Composure before them, this is the kind of sound that could sound equally at home in a toilet venue or Wembley Arena, such is its stratosphere-scraping presence.
Lead single ‘Joan Of Arc’ is a highlight of this EP, from a slow-burning beginning building to a blistering chorus, wrought with emotion. It showcases the open and honest nature of their lyrics, a real trump-card on this release. However, there are some jokers in the midst; as aforementioned, this band are not afraid to experiment, but not always to their benefit; penultimate track ‘Love With No Limit’, puts one in the mind of ‘Digital Ash In A Digital Urn’-era Bright Eyes, but runs a little long and thrills little in comparison to the overall vibe of the record.
At 32 minutes, this is a chunky release that may run a little long for some, and if this band were to progress to recording a full-length, they may need to be reined in a little. Overall, however, this is an extremely impressive starting point for the group; although indebted to the aforementioned Thrice massively, this joins a pantheon of British groups that go some way to emulating their greatness, alongside Burn The Fleet, and another band from a little while ago that sprung up from a small town, the much-missed Herefordshire band Bayonets. Give this a try, and who knows? Tu Amore might just become your (new) love.
4/5
‘Your Love’ by Tu Amore is available now on iTunes.
Tu Amore links: Facebook|Twitter|Tumblr|Youtube|Big Cartel
Words by Ollie Connors (@olliexcore)
