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Knives & Flowers EP - Valeras

Breaking new ground now, with our first EP review. Valeras - previously known as Area 52 - are a new and upcoming band hailing from Reading, UK. Having followed them under their previous name, we are excited to review their newest work and see what they've been up to in the studio.

We are using our usual highly sophisticated ratings system:


1 - Shouldn't have been recorded
2 - Filler
3 - Above average filler
4 - Killer
5 - Career defining masterpiece




Track 01 - Knives & Flowers

John - 4/5

Tilly - 4/5

Track 02 - The Mask

John - 3/5

Tilly - 3/5

Track 03 - Ashes

John - 3.5/5

Tilly - 3/5

Track 04 - Colour Me

John - 4/5

Tilly - 3.5/5




Conclusion

John - I think this is an exciting taste of what is to come from Valeras - especially when you bear in mind that they've just undergone a complete transition into what is essentially a new band. The debut EP is solid - nothing remarkable but a really enjoyable listen. Catchy little songs too, these. I keep catching myself whistling along to Colour Me. They really remind me of a mix of Pvris and Paramore - if the two had some sort of musical lovechild, Valeras would be it!

I think this is a really good collection of new music from the band. There's still some way to go, but they are most definitely on the right track. I'll be playing this for a while to come.

Overall Score - 3.5/5

Tilly - Every female fronted rock band gets compared to each other, and I'm sorry to say that I'm about to do just that. Valeras reminded me of a lighter version of Marmozets but a heavier version of Pvris. So now the comparisons are out of the way, let me just tell you that this was a really strong debut EP. Ashes and The Mask were the weakest of the four tracks, but still very good. They were just a little bit more cliché and forgettable I suppose? Colour Me was technically probably the greatest song on here, catchy, great lyrics and an excellent instrumental to go along with it. My personal favourite was the title track Knives & Flowers. If you have ever seen Buffy The Vampire Slayer, just imagine a night out at the Bronze with Valeras on stage playing this song, because it has all the ambience that the infamous club needs. Overall this was a solid debut EP and I shall very much look forward to hearing a full album, hopefully in the near future.

Overall Score - 3.5/5

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