EP Review: Sad Boys Club - 'Four Shades of the Transitional Phase'
Sad Boys Club’s sophomore EP ‘Four Shades of the Transitional Phase’ is the indie fire we all need to heat us up over winter.
Kicking off with the angsty and infectious Dead Fridays, Sad Boys Club hit the ground running, and fast. The track has all the ingredients of an indie anthem and would fill the floor in any alternative nightclub. On the following track 666, the band dive into realms commonly occupied by greats such as The Cure. Clearly taking inspiration from the aforementioned, 666 is dark and brooding, emotional and calculated, with Wheldon’s vocals floating muddily above dramatic instrumentals.
Wheldon’s vocals are distinctive and have a perfect indie sound, but it would be an injustice to disregard the rest of the band. The EP has tight drums, classic synth sounds and great guitar riffs. It’s fair to say Wheldon’s vocals are simply leading a band-wide charge on an ascendency to the top of indie.
The second half of the EP is a chirpier affair, less concerned with looking cool and more with kicking back and having a good time. Whilst the whole EP is certainly danceable, Swoon and Kukachu, sit somewhere between dancing and sitting with friends and a beer- arguably the best place for a tune to be sitting.
As the title suggests, the EP is certainly four shades and this works well conceptually for the format. Each song has something different to say, and says it with different feeling. Dropping this EP at the end of 2019 doesn’t feel like a closer for the year, but an acceleration into the next. 2020 is sure to be big for Sad Boys Club and you’re going to want to see them play these tunes live- guaranteed.
Words by Jarrad Saul