Saviours Of Welsh Rock
Paradise Closed
The People The Poet
Formed in 2012 from the ashes of Tiger Please, The People The Poet exploded onto the scene in 2013 with self-released debut album 'The Narrator', exciting critics and gaining a legion of new fans. After a busy few years that saw tours with the likes of Straight Lines and Deaf Havana, a Welsh Music Prize nomination and a trip to SXSW 2015, the Pontypridd four-piece return with their second effort, EP 'Paradise Closed'.
'Paradise Closed' sees the band capture the essence and emotion of Springsteen-esque heartland rock and squeeze it through the South Wales valleys. These are, at risk of sounding clichéd, songs for the people. In the same way that Springsteen told everyday stories of the people of middle America, The People The Poet take the stories of South Wales and weave them into big, anthemic rock songs.
Led by the beautifully distinctive voice of Leon Stanford, the EP travels through a host of emotions and moods, from the near whisper of 'When The Fire Goes Out' to the unbridled roar of 'Matchday'. Behind the excellent vocal performance is the relatively simple but devastatingly effective instrumental work of the rest of the band; Tyla Campbell's superb guitar work ranges from acoustic strumming to delay-soaked lead lines, and bassist Pete Mills and drummer Lewis Roswell must be one of the most solid rhythm sections in British rock.
Following the Britpop riff and expansive chorus of 'Happy Being Miserable', the stand-out track on this EP has to be lead single 'Club 27' - when the powerful refrain, bolstered by additional backing vocals, rings out over the final chords, there's a sense that The People The Poet are really onto something special.
'Matchday' is a slice of upbeat emotional rock with a big heart. The second half of the EP takes the energy down a notch, but loses none of its emotional impact – album closer 'When The Fire Goes Out' is a slow-burner that builds to a mighty, piano-driven crescendo before a delicate vocals-and-guitar finish.
Considering it's only six songs long, this EP feels like a huge journey simply due to the rich textures of the songs and the depth of the lyrics. Somehow, despite this, it also feels very concise – there are an incredible amount of emotions, moods and textures packed into only six songs. The arrangements on 'Paradise Closed' are simply excellent – the additional instruments and voices are used effectively and frequently, without making the songs feel bloated.
If this EP doesn't lead to a big few years for The People The Poet, I'll be surprised. There are a lot of bands out there who don't put songs together half as well as these guys, and don't even touch the sophistication and intelligence of the arrangements on this EP. This band deserve to be on a bigger stage – it's as simple as that.
10/10
