EP Review: A Place By Your Hopes by Storyteller

Guest Reviewer: Matt Dickinson

A Place By Your Hopes is the new EP by relative unknowns Storyteller. These guys are a four piece pop punk band from South Wales (something that always gets my attention having been a fan of FFAF and the Blackout). They have a raw gritty sound that isn’t always found in a lot of UK pop-punk – and for me that’s a definite good thing.

Opener ‘Walls & Boundaries’ musically sounds like it could be on a Story So Far record – it’s got an edge to it that works well for these boys and gives you a pointer of how this record is going to sound. ‘Headspace’ kicks on from this being a short fast burst of pop punk that is brimming with energy and angst.

‘Reside’ slows things down a touch but nothing too mellow – something that shows that it’s not all about taking the hard and fast approach – a good sign for the longevity of the band and to keep my interest! Single ‘Broken Bones’ is the clear standout of the EP – it seems the most polished and well put together track – that’s not to detract from the rest – more a case of it just being the best by a long way. A Place By Your Hopes closes with ‘Confines’ which flows nicely from ‘Broken Bones’ however it takes on a more mellow sound, taking influences from a more post-hardcore slant – and I have to say, on repeated listens it gets better and better

I like this EP, I think it’s a definite grower and I’d call this a clear-cut 8/10

For Fans Of: The Story So Far, Such Gold, Neck Deep