Movie rating: 3 Star

Pocket Promise - Waving At Strangers EP

It's taken Pocket Promise seven years of hard graft to come up with their debut EP, but it's apparently been a well-spent seven years. Recorded in Dave Odlum's Black Box Studios in France last year, the Tyrone quartet's sound executes a fluidity only a band that know each other inside-out could achieve.

Of their lengthy list of influences, it's The Postal Service, Ben Folds and Broken Social Scene that ring truest; these five tracks are warm, melodic, introspective efforts that admittedly, suffer from an overdose of heartfelt sincerity at times, but which are nevertheless mostly likeable. Facing Down and Solid Of Soul are both purposefully-performed, mid-paced mini anthems, the former nodding to Arcade Fire's 'Tunnels', the latter to Snow Patrol's less-irritating moments.

Of course, Cormac Fee's soft, accented croon won't dissuade the Lightbody comparisons any; but if Pocket Promise can streamline their potential and avoid trying to emulate their influences to a detrimental effect, they may well attain their countrymen's success. Let's just hope it doesn't take another seven years.

Review by Lauren Murphy | 09:00 | Friday 30th May 2008 | Album Review

• PreviousArmoured Bear - Imagination
• View all
• NextThe Futureheads - This Is Not the World