Swedish four-piece, Alicewell, embrace their inner pop-punk and post-hardcore in their latest EP, Young Hearts and prove that there really is a never-ending stream of All Time Low and Paramore influenced acts.
‘Lost You Once’ sets the tone of this EP right from the off. If you didn’t realise by the title, Young Hearts, that this record would be full of cliched rock anthems and incessant pop-rock chants, then this opening track confirms it. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s bad, though. The insanely catchy hooks and silky vocals make for an easy and enjoyable listen. The title-track steps the game up a notch, giving the band the venom of A Day To Remember and the lyrics of You Me At Six, whilst ‘Fireworks’ pumps out the polished riffs and a solemn sound that dictates the rest of the EP. Jonaton Nyberg-Kaski’s lyrics on ‘Young Hearts’, “I’ve gotta get out of this place, before it breaks me”, scream of the self-doubt and hatred of their home-town that fans of pop-punk seem to adore, so it’s only a matter of time before Alicewell become a big hit with those lovers of pop-punk.
If there’s one thing that’s frustrating about this EP is that it’s painfully predictable – everything they’re doing has been done before, again and again and again. And with bands like You Me At Six and All Time Low getting further and further into the mainstream, Alicewell could well remain a little fish in a big pond.
