EP: The Brackets – Nothing To Write Home About

Branded as “Northern indie for your precious ears” on their Twitter bio, Wakefield four-piece The Brackets have just stormed onto the scene with their debut EP Nothing To Write Home About.

Wakefield, famous for being the home of the Cribs, is consistently producing great new bands and Long Division festival is showcasing the best of them. We recently reviewed the festival, check the review out HERE.

Streaming exclusively on Soundcloud, the six song EP is punchy and full of great tunes. The first song, aptly titled Intro is a great opener, the song builds throughout and the chorus of oohs are welcome towards the end. Different Kind has a huge early Strokes vibe to it; the metallic guitar riff to begin the song is instantly memorable. The verse is simple but in no way is that a negative, the repetitive bassline accompanies the vocals perfectly and the arpeggio riff before the chorus is truly great. This song would sound best in a field as the sun is setting with a cider in hand, perfect for a festival.

Definite single Matchmaker is a highlight of the EP. The band will always face comparison to The Cribs, but they are incredibly reminiscent of self-titled/New Fellas The Cribs, writing about modern life and growing up in a mundane city. The chugging guitars in this song are pleasing to the ear and the vocals are charming. This song deserves to be huge and has already been played on BBC Radio.

Back to Strokes-ey vibes for This Could Be You. There is a great storyline to the lyrics of this song, depicting a drunken night out and the antics that young people get up to. The song is fast paced and instantly catchy – the chorus will be remembered right away. Another great tune.

Don’t Think About It sounds like an unreleased Cribs demo from 2005-6, it may not be contender for a leading single on the EP but fits well into the whole vibe that The Brackets are going for.

Final song and title track Nothing To Write Home About is the best song on the release. It makes the band sound like they have been professional for years, the chorus is undoubtedly huge and should be screamed from a thousand and one mouths at a festival near you. The middle 8 of this song cannot be raved about enough, simply, it is massive. The descending guitars are exciting and lead into the modest chant of “nowt to write ‘ome about” to close the EP.

The Brackets have written, recorded, produced and mixed the EP themselves. There is a definite future for this quartet. There’s no bullshit with this release, it’s four guys defining life as twenty-somethings living and working in a lower-class city. It’s hard to believe that The Brackets have only been together less than a year and are yet to grace a stage. Remember the name, The Brackets, you’re likely to see them becoming massive pretty soon.

Find The Brackets on Twitter and Soundcloud.