EP REVIEW | For The Girl – Shark Attack

It seems that indie rock is currently enjoying quite the revival. Acts as varied as Foals, Catfish and the Bottlemen, The 1975 and Bastille are currently enjoying arena tours, breaking into the charts and dominating festival line ups. On the strength of their second EP ‘Shark Attack’, it’s very easy to see Nottingham based five-piece For The Girl achieving such success within the space of a few years.

For The Girl put a catchy twist on indie rock staples, taking in influences as varied as Saint Raymond, Arctic Monkeys and Red Hot Chili Peppers. They begin the EP as they mean to go on with opening track ‘Earthquake’. The instrumentation is choppy but polished and creates a huge sound, instantly echoing catchier numbers by Catfish and The Strokes. Add in distinctive vocals, plus possibly the catchiest chorus on the record, and you get a song that makes an instant impression.

‘Phonics’ slows the pace down a little yet this only demonstrates For The Girl’s versatility. Soaring “OH OH OH”s add to a number that already seems tailor-made to fill out Academies and arenas nicely. As is the case throughout ‘Shark Attack’, the lyrics are a winning mixture of the observational and the emotional. ‘Raise A Glass’ takes us back into more upbeat, almost laddish territory, yet a glossy sheen remains. A tale of “kisses and romance” and “[getting] lost…but not too far” perfectly capture the thrill of the band’s current youth; ‘Raise A Glass’ also sticks in the head long after listening to it.

The penultimate song is another slower one, ‘Breathe’, which continues lyrical themes of young love and romantic uncertainty. Featuring a textured backing and more considered vocal delivery, ‘Breathe’ builds to an impressive climax before a fairly sudden ending. Last, but definitely not least, comes the EP’s lead single ‘Where Did Time Go’. There is a more electronic feel on offer here, and it’s arguably the most poppy of their efforts, yet this is not at all a bad thing. It shows considered progression and another devilishly catchy melody.

Two years on from their promising first EP ‘Kick It’, For The Girl are back with a vengeance. Here, they relentlessly provide addictive songs, thoughtful songwriting and tunes that deserve nothing less than large, passionate audiences. And they’re only just getting started. Surely the big festival appearances, dedicated fanbase and the gradual rise into the arenas and into the nation’s headphones can’t be far away…

8.5/10