Beat The Bandit – Heroin
Reviews — By Lewis Nolan on January 17, 2012 9:38 amOut Now // Self-Release
Download/Listen to Heroin here
This EP smells of a young band that is yet to find their sound, saving their best track till last where hopefully you won’t have already changed the record.
Beat The Bandit open with Heroin, and after the first few chords it’s almost as if whiskey should be stocked in your ear drums along with the entire of Tennessee. After just ten seconds you actually think something along the calibre of Kings of Leon’s second album ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’ will be reborn! Sadly no, instead what you get is a strange concoction that sounds like all of the okay vocal delivery from some grunge bands in America from the 1990s with country rock sounds and relatively decent rhythm guitar, courtesy of Joe Muldoon. Lead vocals by James Hartnett are somewhat interesting with his diving tones at least with this track. There’s nothing to be desired lyrically especially in the latter half with the awkward fog horn drones of “Heroiiiiiiuuiine your heorroiiiiiaaaaiiine.”
Purple Top changes the tune of the guys sound to up tempo pop with the classic tale of seeing a girl in (wait for it) a purple top. Guitars on this follower are slightly more interesting with Muldoon and Hartnett working well, the front man seems to have a change of delivery on here referencing Arctic Monkeys, Alex Turner and adapting Jarvis Cocker from somewhere. The overall chorus isn’t too bad if too bad can also be extremely predictable. Overall it’s like having a very dull bowl of gruel with nails mixed in whilst watching a compilation of Katie Price’s acting skills, dull, hard to swallow and a little uncomfortable to take all in.
With a little bit of luck, BTB save themselves with closer 7th Floor, again though the Katie Price wince moments are there in the lyrics: “Going north but we’re heading south, left you standing there with your heart in your mouth.” The concluding chorus certainly adds something especially with a line about going to the 7th floor to get a whip to make a girl come back to you, that and a line with a harmless S&M reference deserves a mark. This kind of echoes is The Vaccines’ Post Break Up Sex but you still feel these guys are way off trying to find their sound. However, with upcoming dates sure to bring in their following you have to think that they must be some sort of note right with someone in this crazy world.
5/10
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14 Comments
i strongly disagree with this review
beat the bandit are supporting the likely lads at the swan with two necks in chorley on thursday
fancy coming and seeing them live lewis
i think it might change your opinion
I checked these lads out after reading your review, I listened to all three songs. I then re-read your review and realised that you honestly do not have a clue what you’re talking about. Heroin isn’t the best quality recording in my opinion but can only be expected for a self-release. However, musically, offers bags of potential and for a teenage band is remarkably powerful.
Purple Top has obviously lyrically, been made with a catchy chorus to stick in your head. Dull? I can’t get it out of my head.
Then the latter song 7th Floor, clearly is not about trying to win a girl back. ‘Is it because I don’t love you anymore?’ Obviously refers to him not being in love with the girl. I believe this review is ignorant of the bands potential and encourage anybody reading to listen for themselves. Just listened to previous songs by this band and the potential is massive.
Rick.
A very very poor review. I personally feel 7th floor is the worst track on the EP and it is an extremely good song! If the individual who wrote this is sane, they were either in a bad mood, or it was that time of the month when they put this review together. Listen to the music.
I listened to the tracks and don’t think you’re right. 7/10 at least. Purple top is well catchy.
My sons best mate went to see these guys at 53 degrees the other month with a band called Theory Of The Fall, he said BTB killed off prety much all the other bands that night. And these guys are from Preston too. Thought you were ment to be supporting local music not ruining confidence. They’re a bunch of young lads from Preston doing well for themselves. Sort it out Ark Preston.
I think a reviewer has the right to comment on stuff as he sees fit, too often things get flowered up by reviewers and their reviews become pointless, ie giving everything 8&9. If you bang your stuff on line be prepared to be criticised not everyone will like it. This is more a comment on the comments and has nothing to do with BTB
Wow cheers for the support on the comments!
Tbf they’re not really amazing they’re okay but not great like, doesn’t really matter if they’re young, that’s like saying because Bieber’s young everyone should like him it’s how it sounds.
So far we have had 6 comments from chris,sam,tim,dan,jcool and rik who all agree that the review is wrong.
The people that agree with Lewis about the ep is a garage flower and a
pan floor , Lmao
Good one, you’re fantastic, really witty and new . . . unlike BTB.
this is actually really accurate (not sarcasm) terrible band. I would say the only support they have is their mates and the band is inept of any talent or creativity much like, I suspect, the members as you can tell from the music. This is a classic example of people making a band so they can say they’re in a band.
1. I agree with the review, not really convinced by btb live or on record. But it’s not my kind of music. Not yours either, as you freely admit.
2. Everyone has to start somewhere, just like you with your writing. They’ll improve the more they play, just as you’ll become better at writing a good review, and hopefully this little putdown will not dishearten them. Support local music!
Sorry mate but it doesn’t even sound like you listened to them. you just sound like you were angry and this is the only way to vent it.
Look tbf, whoever ‘suckadick’ is, obviously has no knowledge of the background of BtB and is making a judgement purely on his bias view against the age and genre of the band. As for his comment about ‘their only support are there friends’, BtB have over 1500 fans on facebook. Not many other bands from Preston can bolster that big of a fanbase and that comes through hardwork from the band, promoting our music everywhere we can, which leads onto the next point, of if we were just doing it to say that we are in a band, why would we put so much work into promoting our band everywhere we can? It’s obviously just an ignorant comment from who is most likely an ignorant musician. As for Liam’s comment, that’s the sort of comment that we can take on board so thanks for commenting. If we’re not your cup of tea, then that’s completely fine, and I agree, every band gets better the more they play.