New Accelerator - EP2

​New Accelerator

​EP2
self-released; 2016

3.4 out of 5

By Ted Rogen
​

Two of the four members of New Accelerator, Will Cruttenden and Richard Brough, were on a train when they decided to stop playing covers and write originals. I’ve seen this a million times before and as much as the band tries they ended up sounding like the bands they cover. The originals on EP2 have the exact opposite effect. Instead of sounding like a particular band it sounds like a mesh of very broad genres like blues, funk, rock and pop.

I don’t say this as an insult but the band seems like one you could imagine playing music at a hotel lounge. It's easy to enjoy but hard to define their sound. Their music sounds like songs you have heard before in some parallel universe. The name is at the tip of your tongue but you're not sure what it is. 

Technically, the band is spot on. I have no complaints. The vocalist Emma Jones also has a great voice. That’s why it’s a shame there are almost no hooks that stuck out to me in the songs. You can listen to these songs on repeat but the vocal melodies just don’t get imprinted and make you want to sing along.

Although the production is far better than most DIY efforts it has the sound you might expect from an instructional or promotional video on how to play guitar or do a very traditional by the book professional recording. You will know what I’m talking about when you hear the perfect sounding yet completely standard sounding drum kit.

​There is no doubt the individual members are seasoned musicians who have both creative and technical talent. That being said the band needs to keep digging to try and find that x-factor that people will notice the first time they listen to their songs. EP2 is a solid effort but I would like to hear the band get outside their comfort zone and show me why they are more than a band that I can enjoy in a bar.

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