Album Review: This Years Winner Is.. - Always Goes Down Smooth

Yearning from the UK's own Isle Of Man, This Years Winner Is... supply pop-punk with a generous dose of heavy guitar-work and a healthy portion of epic choruses. We review their recent EP 'Always Goes Down Smooth', and boy is this a hell of a ride.

'A Bigger Breakdown Than Lad' opens with an honest showcase of their abilities with what is easily the poppiest song on their offering containing some sweet vocals harmonies and a chorus capable of taking on some serious crowds. The band get creative with 'Mike Bush Is Not A Dude's opening salvo of riffs and guitar harmonics before letting the various vocalists intertwine their voices in effective fashion. 'We're Flying/They're Sinking' doesn't change much to the formula, if not a little more energy, but works well enough not to sound too similar to the rest.

'Smooth Talkers & Sleep Walkers' is easily the band's heaviest effort and the melodic parts are well worked into the songs, in a way not unknown to a certain Four Year Strong. Final track 'Eleven' is more of the same, by which I imply another high-octane power supply of upbeat guitar fire and it's good, very good.

If you haven't heard of this band before, now is the time too. Fans of true pop-punk should grab this EP as soon as they can before they get too hot. Britain might have their answer to Four Year Strong, just maybe.

4/5

'Always Goes Down Smooth' by This Years Winner Is... is available now on Section Five Records.

This Years Winner Is... on MySpace and Facebook.

James Berclaz-Lewis