We Are Lost Boys - Life Review

rating: 3

Four-piece We Are Lost Boys sound like an English Yellowcard, they have that youthful effervescence which ebbs from every pore of their music, it's a quality which brings a young and vibrant fan base but also one which may prevent much room for mainstream accessibility. You definitely get the feeling from Life that there's a lot more to come from this band, simply because it feels like there's bags of potential which hasn't been truly displayed yet, if there's a real criticism of the record it's that the band haven't shown us their full hand yet. That makes for a promising yet frustrating listen, the EP reminds you of how inventive Lower Than Atlantis are on many tracks but it doesn't inspire as much as you'd like it to. Although the frustration is definitely there, we have to remember that the band are only just starting out and luckily the potential is undeniable. Opening track 'Don't Care' doesn't fill you with much hope though, it sounds tired and never quite gets going, the lead vocals never sound settled or like there's a real coherence throughout the song. What follows is 'From Home Sweet Home' which is a song seemingly about growing up and moving on with life, it's a track which actually gives the band a sense of character and personality. The vocals convey a feeling of angst and frustration which makes the song resonate. With bands like Don Broco doing this sort of thing effortlessly now, it feels like now is a critical time for a band such as We Are Lost Boys, it's hard to tell whether they're going to sink or swim but a full length release may give more of an indication. Life is a solid start for a band who's best work is surely yet to come, there's even a Deftones style track in 'What Now?' which shows the band's influences might be more varied than you'd first think. The highlight of the release is 'The Way Of The World' which is a mature and perfectly paced song with raw emotion emanating from it's every atom. This is just the sort of song that could make this band a real household name, this scene is thriving at the minute and they'd be smart to take advantage of that and release as much as possible and quickly. This EP is a good one, it's not going to change the world and there aren't any genius lyrical touches in there but it's an enjoyable work from a band who are probably still trying to improve and shape their sound.