THE TUESDAY SYNDICATE - EP REVIEW

The Tuesday Syndicate - The Tuesday Syndicate EP 
The Tuesday Syndicate EP 

Release Date: Out Now

It won't surprise you to hear that this bunch of handsome, buff and generally fit looking chaps hail from North Devon and all enjoy a spot of surfing when they're not making music together. It also won't surprise you to hear that I think The Tuesday Syndicate is an awful, awful band name but I'm not here to review band names, I'm here to review the music so let's just move past this shall we? This latest EP from the five piece weighs in at a meaty 7 tracks which is in that territory between EP and album but I think EP is the right choice. Opening track 'Bury My Mind' begins with a sleepy, sunrise inspired piece of acoustic noodling that transports you to a field atop a cliff staring out at glistening sea below you. The smooth voice of frontman Sam Mayo encourages the rest of the band to join in and a Radio 2 friendly folk-rock ballad unfolds but not without a certain edge and bite that suggests there is more to come from the quintet. 'Come Inside' has a similarly gentle and subdued beginning but there is less time to wait for the rest of the band to kick in this time and there is a real Brother & Bones vibe about this tune but with a more US radio feel.

The Tuesday Syndicate in their natural habitat
There is an impish start to 'Go' which veers more towards the Mumford & Sons or Passenger end of the spectrum with an urgent riff, impassioned vocals and a thumping beat that pulses at the heart of the song as it builds to a crowd pleasing crescendo. By the time we reach 'Palm Of My Hand' there is a pattern forming of quiet acoustic openings that give way to full band shenanigans but there is more energy to be found here and more bitterness as the band power through a tale of heartbreak and the realisation that whatever relationship there was has long since died. Just to prove me wrong, 'Sticks & Stones' cracks straight on with things and has a more Elvis Costello meets Frank Turner feel about it which is hard to resist as the guitars cut through the air like a call to arms. Presumably a song about a well, 'Too Deep To Climb Out' returns to the previous formula but then if it ain't broke (and it ain't), don't fix it. Again, this is a US friendly power ballad that, combined with their looks, should see these guys playing to crowds of knickerless girls all summer (because they've thrown them on the stage, not because they're forgetful or can't afford knickers, you understand). Closing track 'Worth It' is possibly the most powerful of the lot and, in my opinion, ought to be the lead track - which it could well be as Dropbox tends to do funny things to track listings. It combines Paolo Nutini, Brother & Bones, Crowns and Frank Turner to make an almighty rock racket with a folk spirit and a soulful heart. If this were a half hour set I would be left feeling impressed but with a niggling feeling that the band could have given slightly more energy to some of the songs to get those beach parties going. There's still more to come, I feel, but they are definitely heading in the right direction.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/thetuesdaysyndicateofficial

Listen Here: http://www.thetuesdaysyndicate.com/#!home/mainPage

Live Dates:

11th July - Glasdenbury Festival, Ashburton
12st July - Esplanade, Newquay
17th July - The Old Firehouse, Exeter
24th July - Somersault Festival, North Devon
31st July - Folk Off Cancer, Barnstaple
1st August - The Red Lion, Clovelly

8th August - Croyde View Festival, Croyde

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