The EP opens with The World We Were Sold, a riff-heavy rocker that is the closest thing hear to Heaven's Basement's sound. Glover has always been a great riff writer, and this song is no different with a fast-paced guitar pattern that drives the entire song. Harris, while a strong singer in his own right, lacks the raw power of Heaven's Basement's two main frontmen and instead opts for a slightly higher-pitched delivery that works melodically but is less hard-hitting than the song probably needs. This song was released online on the day The Cruel Knives were launched, and it definitely seems like a bridge between old and new. The chorus is a strong moment, which makes the most of Harris' more melodic vocal delivery, and the twisted guitar solo from Glover is different from his classic rock-inspired past but works well in the song's context. Itch opens with a snaking bassline riff from Ellershaw which Harris sings over in his slightly thin style which gives the song a slightly modern indie rock feel - at least at first. Things do get heavier throughout however, and Glover does launch into a meaty riff which then leads into a punchy chorus with some catchy wordless vocal sections. Ellershaw continues to dominate throughout however, especially during the verses which really shows his skills as a player. The song really lets go towards the end, with a frantic hard section that draws the song to a close. Kill the Messenger opens with a slightly atmospheric intro that has layers of effects-drenched guitar and Harris' naked and somewhat fragile vocal performance. When the song gets going however it turns into an enjoyable rocker but this is a song which I feel could have benefited from a ballsier vocal delivery. One the one hand I do like Harris as a singer, and he can really let rip when the moment takes him, but on the other hand I feel his voice is often a little fragile for Glover's riffing. Glover has always worked with really strong frontmen, and I am not sure that Harris really falls into that category. Squeeze is easily the weak link on the EP for me, and attempts a more lighter hearted rock sound with Harris' perpetually high vocals and slightly funky overall feel. This is the sort of song that would probably work if done by a band like The Struts, who have that slightly quirky personality, but when done by The Cruel Knives just feels a little forced. There is certainly no dirt under the nails of this song, and sticks out on an EP that generally hits pretty hard. The Promised Land is the EP's closing number and is probably my favourite number here with a dirty slide guitar intro and a great bass groove throughout. There are certainly shades of the old Heaven's Basement sound here, but adapted well to make great use of Harris' higher voice. The chorus is an instantly catchy one, with some excellent tremolo guitar playing underneath the vocals, and the musicianship throughout is strong. I feel that this is the song where the sound The Cruel Knives are attempting to pursue comes together the best, and I hope to see more of this going forward. Overall, Side One is a good start from a new band that are going to have the break out of the shadow of Heaven's Basement. It is hard for fans of that band's work, especially the band's early work, to not be slightly disappointed with the lighter overall feel of the EP, but there are definitely more high points than low ones here and I will be interested to see where they go from here.
The self-released EP was released on 28th July 2017. Below is the band's promotional sound clip for The World We Were Sold.
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