Fans of The Ghost Of A Thousand will be pleased to hear that Tom Lacey, ex frontman of the now defunct punk outfit, has decided to lend his vocal chords to a new project that goes by the name of Yards. Their introduction to the world comes in the form of a self-titled EP, or in this case, four sharp stabs of frantic hardcore filled with enough angst and headbanging opportunities that there’s a risk of something getting broken.
Getting things off to a flying start is opening track “The Rut”. Clocking in at just sixty-six seconds, this short burst of power manages to sum up the band’s sound in a nutshell and serves as the perfect introduction to the EP. The next two tracks fly by in similar blink-and-you’ll-miss-them fashion with “Modern Sovereigns” providing some of the best riffs of the EP, whilst drawing some noticeable parallels with the band Converge. “Castles of Romford” shakes things up a bit, introducing another side to the band with its varied vocal approach and change in pace. The final track “I Miss John Candy” stands out not only for its length but its much-needed dynamic shift, climaxing with an epic, instrumental, sludgy closure, complimented by the perfectly suited production of the EP.
For such a short release, Yards do a great job at providing the amount of variety and diversity needed to pull you back in for another listen. It’s likely that fans of the genre will struggle to find anything new or fully original here, but should find satisfaction nonetheless. Heads above many other debut releases, Yards’ first offering serves as a great taster of things to come. Very exciting indeed.
8/10, out now, Sam Barnes
Facebook.com/yardsband
