Stop! Stop! Start Again

Belfast band Stop! Stop! Start Again originally got together to re-record Recall to Life by local favourites, Stage B and make a one off appearance at a local arts festival. As it turned out the set was well received by the crowd, also garnering some good reviews. So they decided to stick with it and record some original material. Serge is their debut EP, with another scheduled to follow later in the year.

Probably because of the some of band member’s past groups, Stop! Stop!... has been linked with punk, but the music here is broader, leaning more towards new-wave and glam rock.

The Mother Mix of the title track opens the EP and it’s a bit of a chugger. The guitars interplay nicely, over a solid rhythm, and taken with an interesting lyric (a feature of the EP, only letting themselves down on the Daughter Mix of Serge which is frankly embarrassing and juvenile) really does get under the skin after a couple of listens.

Stop! Stop! Start Again is next, short, sleazy and to the point, with a riff that wouldn’t be out of place on an AC/DC album. Better Days is a mite ponderous though features a nice guitar solo and some imaginative bass work. Bangin’ On Your Back Door is cut from the same cloth as Serge though heavier with a slightly darker hue and maybe pointing towards a slightly different direction.

All told this is an enjoyable EP from experienced musicians that know the ropes. Slight niggles over the production which maybe over-chromed, and they sound as if they are holding themselves in a bit. It’ll be interesting to hear what the next EP is like.