Source: Album Artwork
Better Than Never’s sophomore EP Head Under Water is pop-punk nostalgia in the very best way. The Oxford-born sextet formed in 2013 and have since toured with the likes of Don Broco, As It Is, and Boston Manor. All that touring has paid off big time with their latest EP: the tracks are more polished and far more inventive than their debut. Better Than Never are, well, better than we’ve ever seen them.
Better Than Never’s line-up sets them up to be something extraordinary. The band performs with dual vocalists—Will Keating and James Harris—and three guitarists. Triple stacked guitars pack a heavy punch, weaving cleverly through tracks with intense lyrics.
Speaking of the album, Harris said: “Head Under Water covers the idea of how dealing with depression and anxiety can sometimes just feel like you are drowning in a sea of hopelessness, the ball and chain in the imagery showing how you can feel chained down by those struggles and anchored at rock bottom.”
Again, like we saw in February’s debut Homemade Hero, the band’s superhero character adorns the cover. To Better Than Never, this represents their own ability to fight through the rough times. This is an idea very much present in Head Under Water. ‘Dreamland Ain’t All It’s Cracked Up To Be’ and ‘Learning To Swim’ are where we find it most clearly, the traditional pop punk themes of angst and generally shitty times battling through elaborate guitars.
These stereotypes rage throughout, but they don’t define the EP. Rather, Head Under Water is a success because of its thoughtfully structured tracks. It’s opener‘126’ is short and to the point, but it demonstrates some impressive songwriting in 64 seconds. The track is a slow burner, kicking off with a sound reminiscent of early Mayday Parade. It quickly builds into a fast, frantic melody before slowly trailing off. It might be over fast, but the effect is powerful.
The rest of Head Under Water continues in a similar way, never really slowing down enough to give you time to breathe. But then, in a five track EP isn’t that exactly what you want?
