The EP opens with ‘I won’t let you go’, the first song to be released early on all streaming services. A unique sound, however still amazing. This song looks at the reality of love and relationships and everything in between in an upbeat manor. At just under three minutes, this song is the shortest on the EP, but still manages to pack one hell of a punch.

Second up is ‘Burn it down’, a song with an opening guitar riff and general sound that call to ‘The Weakerthans’, but still none the less, absolutely brilliant. This is another track that explores love and relationships, including hope and despair, even shock and relief. It’s packed full of awesome guitar riffs, tight bass lines and a killer drum beat, this song has easily made its way onto my ‘on the go’ playlist!

Following on is ‘Gone’, a slower and more raw, stripped back, emotional song, exploring failed attempts at repairing a damaged relationship and the difficulty of acceptance and moving on in life. This song cuts deep, and is one that many will relate to on a personal level.

‘City with no Dreams’ comes next. This song is (somehow), an entirely different style from the rest of the EP, with an opener that goes straight into the vocals and delves into despair and depression, as well as grasping at hope and seeking an excuse to stay. I could really hear the emotion in Seth’s vocals and the lead guitar really helps to accompany it.

The final song of the EP is ‘I can’t get over me’, and with any band, especially one as good as NEW CHUMS, I expected it to be a big one, I can safely say that they didn’t disappoint! The track opens in a way that reminds me of Green Day, before going into a sound reminiscent of the first track on the EP, ‘I won’t let you go’, giving the EP a wonderfully ‘cyclical’ feel. The song explores depression and schizophrenic lifestyles, giving the whole thing a different meaning altogether and maybe making it not about relationships, but rather ones fight with themselves. This is another song that really hits you as you listen to the lyrics, and to put it lightly – it’s an absolute fucking banger!

New Chums are a band that have their finger on the pulse and I really listening to this EP. I hope to be hearing more from them in the near future.

Please take a moment to check the EP out for yourselves and maybe even buy a copy of it via Bandcamp so the band can eat and pay some bills!

Review by Ted Stargatt