Reviewed by Jonathan Langley

Prelude are clearly talented. A four-piece made up of music school graduates (and one undergrad) from Maidstone, their debut recording suffers from the underproduction that most demos suffer from. But the four songs here show songwriting promise, good technical ability and appealing vocals. Most importantly, they do not sound like any of the bands they could be emulating. While this is encouraging, it also holds a danger. For any new band to get noticed, develop a following and last longer than their friends' enthusiasm, it needs to have a strong identity, a brandable factor that will give listeners more of a reason to follow them rather than another band. At the moment, Prelude do not seem to have a specific sound. The ubiquitous Chilli Peppers influence does them no favours. "You're Golden", an instant indie pop winner, puts Prelude on the same page as Death Cab For Cutie and other popular American soft college rockers. Lyrically, Prelude aren't saying anything we have not heard before, but they avoid clichés (a rare quality in young bands). The right producer could direct this band to great things.

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