Album Review: Kyoto Drive - This Is All We Ever Wanted

First of all I want to start off this review, by apologising to the band for taking so long to write this review. 'This Is All We Ever Wanted' was recorded last summer, sent to me in October and left on my desk till December, which is unfortunate because this Birmingham pop-punk 4 piece have came on leaps and bounds since their 'Spotlights and Stars' EP.

From the start 'This Is All We Ever Wanted' sounds more confident and broader, as 'Transitions' is upbeat and fierce and leads nicely into 'I'd Give It All', a song which was first heard on our Autumn/Winter 2009 compilation a few months back and has good blend of light-heavy guitars and strong vocal melodies from Adam Binder, along with occasional 'woah-oh-oh'.

Throughout the bands feel-good factor is consistent and nearly flawless, although at times not fully original. However the band have used the pop-punk/pop-rock to the best of their ability, as they show they can write a good hook (see 'Make Up Dosen't Cover Everything').

Whilst 'It's Not About Revenge, Don't Make It Personal' hints at a more heavier sound, with thrashing guitars subtly hidden underneath Binder's adrenaline-filled vocals. Closing track 'Waiting' is an 8-minute wonder, with a slow, passionate acoustic number leading into a somewhat predictable yet strong full band performance, with a chorus that is crying out to be sung along too, before ending to an section filled with electronic beats and vocal loops, which is all too similar to that of Jimmy Eat World's 'Goodbye Sky Harbour'.

'This Is All We Ever Wanted' is definitely a step forward in the right direction, and shouldn't be written off as another UK pop-punk record, as Kyoto Drive now have the songs and talent to progress in their career and make a name for themselves.

4/5

'This Is All We Ever Wanted' by Kyoto Drive is released on January 26th on Engineer Records/Pacific Ridge Records.

Kyoto Drive on MySpace

Sean Reid