There's talent in there, somewhere
Opening their second EP, 'Give Up The Ghost', with the track 'Mistaken For A Star', Failsafe For Tomorrow initially seem to be all about the poppy punk rock. Taking their lead from the bands that lead the skater punk wave of the early 2000s, the boys put their own spin on the sound with strong melodies and hooky choruses.
'What We Are' is all about the beats with bassist Tom Sixsmith and James Carnock on drums propelling the song forward with a fast paced backbone to Mark Lovett's guitars; all driving the sound and supporting the vocals of Lee Ozzie Ward and Sixsmith as their lyrics pulse through the verses and soar in the chorus.
'So Long So Long' is the first track that gives us a hint of some problems with the vocals. Through the song they sounded jarring and almost off key, and not in a good way. It's also the start of a move to heavier screams and the start of a more post-hardcore sound. 'Give Up The Ghost' continues this trend, the vocal stylings never quite settling in with the guitars melodies. 'Blood To Spill' starts with a scream, embracing the post-hardcore vibe, but presenting it in a rough and uninviting way.
Ending with 'Caught In The Crossfire', a song that once again begins with a bang, Failsafe For Tomorrow soon mixes things up with off kilter melodic vocals and some screams thrown in for good measure. Here the screams seem to be even more a distraction than an enhancement to the song. It's an 11 minute long track with 'Caught In The Crossfire' ending around the 4 minute mark and a "hidden track" beginning at around 8 minutes. A screamy banging type of track it's interesting enough, but it does make you wonder why an up and coming band feel the need to hide it, either it's good enough to be on the EP, or it's not.
I would personally like to hear more songs like opening track 'Mistaken For A Star' as they hit the mark with the slightly whiny vocals and supporting beats. On the whole Failsafe For Tomorrow seem much more suited to the pop/punk rock energy than the more intricate post-hardcore.