It’s not often that a title sums up the vibe of a release as well as Home Is Where My Heart Dies. Essex’s Create To Inspire have been the name to drop in melodic hardcore circles over the past two years thanks to their skin-clawing intensity and emotion. It’s a feature that reaches its apex on the quintet’s new EP, one that should propel them even further.
In terms of music, there’s very little on Home Is Where My Heart Dies that sees Create To Inspire stray out of the regular melodic hardcore lines. In truth though, it’s the potency and fervour of the delivery that really makes them stand out, especially from vocalist Sean Midson. That seems to be a theme that Create To Inspire aim to hit throughout this EP – it’s unmistakably melodic hardcore, but shown in such a way as to make it seem different. Don’t Let Go is a prime example of this, beginning as the semi-obligatory, post-rock-flavoured melodic hardcore track, but is elevated above that thanks to the unfettered anguish in Midson’s vocals, and one of the EP’s handful of great choruses.
As these four tracks prove, Create To Inspire are great at taking rather everyday post-hardcore and making it seem deceptively different. Opening track History starts off fairly run-of-the-mill but soon evolves into a low-slung groove with a fantastic control of its melody, while the title track is held up by a galloping drumbeat and lung-bursting chorus for a sense of scope the genre often lacks.
There’s a lot to like about Create To Inspire on this EP. While it’s hardly even close to reinventing the hardcore wheel, Home Is Where My Heart Dies at the very least gives it a touch up with a new coat of paint for some great results, and even though it can be a bit over-familiar at times, it’s made up for by some truly great songs. It’s a strong continuation for them, but really, an album is needed to see if Create To Inspire can maintain this sort of momentum.
7/10
For fans of: While She Sleeps, Beartooth, letlive.
Words by Luke Nuttall
‘Home Is Where My Heart Dies’ by Create To Inspire is released on 25th March on Basick Records.
