It’s 2016, and you’ve probably chosen a side in the whole pop punk debate by now. You either love how inescapable the genre is, or loathe everything about it. If you’re part of the former, then you’ll be happy to know that it’s another day, another band with the debut EP from Nottingham five-piece Catch Fire.
To be clear from the start, there’s nothing new on The Distance I Am From You. But it’s bloody good. There are bits pulled from the pop punk of today and of the noughties, and they thankfully seem to have vetoed the less annoying ones. The Sum 41-esque riffs and Miles Kent’s distinctly British vocal that doesn’t sound like a 14-year-old going through puberty are what makes this wheat and not chaff. It’s hard to believe that this is only Catch Fire’s debut release, as they already sound as though they’ve made a few albums.
Although there are only four songs on this EP, there are four different types of track and all four bases covered. Nothing really sounds the same, but every track is as good as the other three. Hook-filled opener Introspective Pt. I includes lines like “fuck you, fuck him, fuck everything you did with our time”, which are just begging to be made into a Tumblr edit. Anaesthetic is a punchy anthem, while closer Introspective Pt. II is an acoustic campfire singalong with handclaps to boot. The only slightly irritating thing across The Distance I Am From You is that some of Ash Wain’s fills and constant use of double-time drums overpower the likes of Bad Behaviour at times. But it’s still a strong song that’ll have fists pumping and fingers pointing like there’s no tomorrow.
Honestly, it’s pretty uncommon for a band so new to have such a clear vision of what they want to be on a debut release, and not try to venture into more hybrid genre. It’s even more uncommon for them to be any good, and Catch Fire definitely have the talent. They’re sure to be one of UK pop punk’s leading lights with a few more releases under their belt.
8/10
For fans of: Sum 41, New Found Glory, Boston Manor
Words by Georgia Jackson
‘The Distance I Am From You’ by Catch Fire is out now on Rude Records.
Really great Catch Fire review, sums up how I feel!