FreeFall. - Fire (EP) Review

FreeFall. are an Indie Rock and Alt-Rock band from South Wales, blending raw punk energy with melodic indie rock. Based in Swansea they’ve just released their debut EP - 'Fire’. So the only question remaining is whether the four tracks on offer here are as hot as the title suggests.

Title track ‘Fire’ burns into life with a mix of funky guitars and bass that the Red Hot Chilli Peppers would surely be proud of. The gravelly Jack Daniels/Marlboro Red vocals are more Lemmy than Anthony Keidis though, giving a harder edge to the track. The chorus betrays a bit of grunge influence, with the repeated refrain of “Yeah!” evoking memories of Nirvana classic ‘Lithium’. And there’s some real rock ’n’ roll vitriol as the singer screams “Fire/desire/to give you what you want!”

Second track ‘Deano’ takes a much poppier route, less Chilli Peppers and more Beautiful South, whilst retaining a punk aesthetic. And in a bigger unexpected turn of events, listeners are even treated to an extended sax solo (and who doesn’t love a bit of sax!). This shows that the band aren’t afraid to experiment outside of the usual punk rock boundaries.

‘Head’s Underwater’ takes a softer turn which brings some nice shade after the raucous opening cuts. There’s a definite Radiohead vibe going on circa their Pablo Honey/The Bends era.

Closing track ‘Keep You Waiting’ has a decidedly Housemartins vibe, reprising the Paul Heaton influence. A sordid tale of late night excess and debauchery, ‘Keep You Waiting’ again underlines the bands rock n roll credentials.

In conclusion this is a promising debut release, that is sure to create a bit of smoke - and there’s no smoke without fire…

Written by Rhys Bradley (The Vanities)