Beginning with a sample resembling sounds reminiscent of pier arcades, before jumping in with raucous, jagged guitars and staccato vocals, The Ends create a first impression that is lively and fun. Title track Talk of the South really sets a precedent for the rest of their EP. All parts work well together creating a uniformed, polished sound. The form and structure of the song is also impressive and there is absolutely nothing to suggest that the standard here is less than that of any signed band.
This striking flair is continued during You Write the Hits (I Write the B Sides). It is an explosive flash of a song, short with the same lyrics repeated throughout a large part of its duration. Although that sounds like a criticism, here, it really isn’t. For The Ends really do command a style which they make their own and everything here feels like it’s perfectly in tune with their clear punky origins.
Circa ’45 is a sparser, stripped down track with some convincing vocals and excellent blues style musicianship from the other instruments. What becomes most apparent in this song is the band’s natural aptitude for writing songs. Every part is distinctive yet sympathetic to the overall sound and the track sounds well rounded and complete.
In Another Town is another notably impressive song from The Ends, focused and captivating from start to finish. It is hard to pick any track that is head and shoulders above the rest on this EP, because the simple fact of the matter is, they are all incredibly enjoyable. The pace is picked up again slightly for Sunshine, which is just as pleasing and inspiring as every other song here. I cannot wait to hear a full length album from this massively gifted band – if this EP is anything to go by, I’m sure it will be nothing short of magnificent.
