Front Counter - A Toast To You and Me (EP)
“Front Counter’s goal has been simple since day one; to make catchy, energetic rock songs.”
Straight from the horse's mouth, people, this is Melbourne five piece Front Counter’s mission statement, as written on their MySpace page by, one would only assume, themselves. It’s fair enough really, and I have to admit on all counts of “Catchy, energetic rock songs”, they succeed. It’s just a pity they didn’t think about adding another important quality, and include something along the lines of the songs actually having to be good.
Having never heard of Front Counter before, knowing nothing of their style and having no pre-conceived ideas as to what they might sound like, I was happy to have the chance to listen to their debut EP; A Toast to You and Me, with a fresh and open mind. It took me three listens before my hopeful optimism was completely shattered, and have since spent the better part of my time trying to forget them – which doesn’t work when you are reviewing them, and their music really isn’t the kind that will grow on you in time with subsequent listens. Nonetheless, I soldiered on.
Describing them as samey would be a compliment, as would unoriginal, unintelligent and boring. I found the first five songs to be almost identical. From lyrics as adolescent and immature as opening track, What’s Your Name?; “Baby girl please, please understand - I’m not looking for a one night stand” seems to be the overall mentality we are dealing with here lyrically, to the music which appears to be variations of the same song structure, topped off with not so clever variations on chord changes.
The final track The Last Stand was what utterly confused me, though. It actually has the signs of showing some slight musical promise, but it just doesn’t work. It’s heavier; I think they’re trying to pull off a nu-wave-metal thing, but failing miserably. What they have given us in this track sounds more like a work in progress or a demo, which stylistically is so far departed from the other five tracks, and just doesn’t sit right. To top all this off is one of the most miserable, cock-rock attempts at a guitar solo I have heard since Bon Jovi decided to make a second album. Oh, that reminds me, they actually supported Bon Jovi in Melbourne earlier this year – take that as you will…
As far as a general style goes for Front Counter, it could be best likened to a cross between the rock sounds of Bodyjar and the simplicity and pointlessness of Blink 182. which is curious as Bodyjar’s most recent producer Richard Stolz also worked with Front Counter on this release, and has created a strikingly similar sound to that of Bodyjar’s 1998 album No Touch Red, which, as a rather odd sideline Stolz didn’t even work on, so how these two band’s releases sound so similar, is anyone’s guess, but I am yet to be convinced it’s coincidental.
Overall, this is a considerably poor release. Sure, it will appeal to some, but overall there is nothing on offer we have not heard many times before, and, for that matter, previously done with much more conviction.
Out August 9.
