Fear Of Crime

The Calculated Savagery EP

Written by: PP on 05/06/2011 03:53:22

You gotta love the power of the internet. Fear Of Crime is a tiny local band from Edmonton with just 131 likes on Facebook, but yet technology has enabled them to collect reviews from all around the globe without ever leaving the comfort of their homes. Moreover, it facilitates the spread of music in a way that traditional radio stations and physical magazines were never able to; a Canadian band being influenced by a band from Texas is no less likely than being inspired by one from England. Now, the reason I mention this is because Fear Of Crime's debut EP "The Calculated Savagery" contains influences from places so far away from their home that it's a highly unlikely that they would exist today without it.

The band specializes in synth-driven indie-alternative which falls somewhere in between the mainstream anthemic indie of The Killers, the slightly more experimental approach taken by Bloc Party, and the funky, unashamed pop of Minus The Bear. So if you drew a triangle with each of the vertices representing those three bands, Fear Of Crime would comfortably position themselves right in the middle. But whereas nearly all of those bands are known for their ultra catchy songwriting, these Alberta guys rely on a far more progressively oriented sound, evident in the somewhat lengthy songs that often surpass the five-minute mark. It's a double-edged sword, as the songs become more interesting in terms of longevity in this way, but fall short on the memorable chorus part, though "Obsessive" does a pretty good job there, too.

Some criticism needs to be directed towards their singer, however, because he has a tendency to sound flat and unenthusiastic. I'm divided as to whether this is a result of him having to sing in a higher range than he is capable of, or because he's at such an early stage of his career, but he needs to be better in the future. He has the ability to numb the momentum created by the catchy synths and The Killers-esque indie-alternative guitars. But disregarding that flaw, Fear Of Crime's sound is otherwise well-developed for such a young band. There's lots of promise here, and once the singer learns to inject some more charm and character to his delivery, we'll be looking at the higher ratings at this site.

Download: Obsessive
For the fans of: The Killers, Bloc Party, Minus The Bear
Listen: Myspace

Release date 21.12.2010
Oak Apple Records

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