Better Than Never are an Oxford-based pop punk band and their four-track EP Homemade Hero is a great testament to what the band can do. With incredible instrumentation, a nice sounding vocalist and good songs they could probably get somewhere with hard work.
The EP opens with Head, Shoulders, Knees and Bones begins with a catchy vocal hook and guitar that drops into a head bopping instrumental line. The band have written a catchy song and it is musically good, albeit a bit basic – it could do with sounding a bit bigger but that’s more of a production issue. Panama however, is more complex sounding. The vocals aren’t as strong in this song and at the start of the chorus they sound a little out of tune but it is pop punk so it could be deliberate. The guitars and bass in the song stand out and the bass has a great gritty tone with a depth that you feel. Meanwhile the guitars really help to drive the song forward and give it the high energy it has.
The EP is a great piece of pop punk work and with a good producer behind them, the band could write an album that will push them to show us what they can truly do. The EP is great but the band can definitely achieve better and I personally look forward to hearing more stuff from them in the future. Incredible song writing, great instrumentation and good vocals, it won’t be a surprise if they join the likes of Boston Manor and ROAM in the UK pop punk front soon.
7/10
