Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

This Chesterfield four-piece have done themselves proud with this EP. This is honest, experiential, no-holds-barred intelligent rock, but not without some minor gripes. Track one, "Fading Away", seems to borrow the bassline from Delirious?' iconic song "Obsession" but diverges from that well-trodden path when, after a minute and a half of fairly subdued vocals, the percussion kicks in and some rather nice guitar work is supported by emotional vocal harmonies. The appealing and honest lyrics seem to deal with the struggle of being a Christian in the day to day and the moments when lead singer Ian Hoare brings a vocal lilt to his Brit pop inspired creation "Just As I Am" echo the best of Oasis and The Verve. That aside, the band is clearly bringing a fresh sound to the mix. Third track "Saviour" was my least favourite of the four on offer here, but I say that with some regret, as singer Hannah Willis does have an obviously melodious and attractive voice. Fans of The Velvet Underground/Nico won't be disappointed on this one, but perhaps another take on some of the vocals, at least in the early part of the track, would have improved matters a little? Overall though, her performance, and that of the rest of the band, does The DFC Aardvarks great credit. So, arriving at the final number, "The Life", reminiscent to a degree of Leeds-based The Music, and the DFCs are sounding quite brilliant.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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