Crest Glider, When Sirens Smile - EP review

Having dropped Embark in January for fans to enjoy, their sophomore effort - When Sirens Smile - follows just in time for those long winter nights wrapped up in a blanket listening to music.

It sees a bit of growth from the band in terms of music, vocal delivery and bravado, and - in the main - is an all-round more accomplished effort than Embark.

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The opening track Monstrous, which came with its own video last month, is a roaring guitar stomp that holds a large dollop of grunge in its hands through the gritty backing notes via Jon Collins. And soaring above that are some classic indie vibes through Kelly Bird's strumming that acts like a warning siren all in itself.

Bird's vocals also show a lot of maturity as it progresses which comes through getting more performances under her belt and having the confidence to open her lungs up and experiment a bit more. The near-gutteral roar towards the end of the second verse as she bellows "Who is the monster you will meet?" is a prime example of this.

The second number, Girl On The Rila, is just as frantic as its predecessor but sees the serious nature turned down a bit as the fun factor increases. The feel is a bit lighter. The quickening and slowing down of the pace as the track moves through its fazes allows for a live crowd to breathe a little, relax and get dancing. But when the speedometer is cranked up again is when the track is at its best. Bird and Collins' vocals bounce off each other as new drummer Mark Grigg amicably keeps up with what's going on around him.

WATCH: The video for Crest Glider's Monstrous:

The third track, C.H.W.Y., is the weakest of the three where some of the lyrics and their delivery don't quite hit their mark. The chorus is a little grating, but the verses are much better where bassist Sean Carroll is allowed to kick everything from below and keep it moving groovily forwards.

Experimentation and confidence is key to this four-piece and the difference between the two releases is clear. We look forward to them continuing to flourish.

Rating: 7/10

Crest Glider's When Sirens Smile is available to hear on their Spotify page, and will be available to buy from AppleMusic and AmazonMusic. They will be playing at Birmingham's The Sunflower Lounge alongside Brummies Smokin Eskimo in support of fellow Wulfrunians The Jack Fletcher Band on December 7. Tickets are available from Birmingham Promoters.