BANNERS - BANNERS EP

BANNERS

BANNERS
2016BANNERS - BANNERS EP

Liverpool born Banners has released his debut EP under the same name and for someone who sites The Beatles and Arcade Fire as his main influences you would be hard pressed to find another artist that comes close to both of those juggernauts. The first thing you have to recognize is this guys incredible voice. It has just enough rasp, a touch of breath and a pitch that is dead on. There is a voice that you can tell is interesting yet classically trained and Banners has that voice in spades. Listening it is hard to not just get fully enraptured by the vocals, but at the same time the music is also really well done. Even when things slow down like on "Ghosts" Banners still has that arena filling quality that much of Indie rock is trying to duplicate these days. "Gold Dust" and "Start a Riot" are the two most ready radio tracks on a record that essentially is a collection of songs any of which could get some play.

The production on the record is also really well done. In creating massive landscapes and grand music Banners is extremely successful. The music seems to fill all the space in a room but not in one loud punch but more in that creeping sneak up on you kind of way. While his sound now plants him firmly in the Indie side of things you can hear flashes where this music would cross over and get into the pop scene. There really is not much to dislike from the EP however there are a few moments where the sound could be a bit more refined and less broad. Which way Banners goes with his sound and career is really up to him, but if BANNERS is any indication you will be hearing a lot more very soon from this guy.

7.2 out of 10