EP Review: Talk In Code / Friends Close, Enemies Closer

We first introduced you to Swindon lads Talk In Code just over a year ago when we came across their debut EP. Since then they’ve been busy lads, supporting Captain, Boy Kill Boy and the amazing Idlewild. They haven’t got a record or management deal just yet, but that doesn’t show on their second coming, the four track “Friends Close, Enemies Closer”.

So what’s changed musically? Well, they’re much more padded out, sound much more “complete”, obviously having spent a long time practising.

Strangely, the collection starts off with the most generic of the tracks, “Swings and Roundabouts”, with a nice piano driven chorus that sounds distinctly like Keane experimenting with guitars… good, but nothing to write home about.

The real collection starts with “Not how it seems”, which has a distinctly chart-worthy feel in the vein of One Night Only and co. One to get the audience to yell along with, it could well prove to be the best track of the collection. “What Comes As No Surprise” would be a good end of the night closer, anthemic but not too drawn out, just the right mix of guitars and drums and vocals with a few nice flourishes on the keys.

Overall, a good and strong collection showing distinct promise. I can’t help but wonder where these lads will be in another year’s time… at this rate come 2010 they’ll be playing sold out headlining tours around the UK - they certainly deserve to.