Headway - 'The Start EP'

This EP from Nottingham five-piece Headway should carry a government health warning - CONTAINS SHAMELESS SLICES OF STADIUM ROCK AND MORE CHEESE THAN A HASSELHOFF SANDWICH!  With producer Josh Abraham at the helm, who has giganticised the sound of 30 Seconds to Mars and Staind amongst others, it’s plain what kind of colours these guys are nailing to the mast and unfortunately, it’s all pretty unmemorable stuff from the outset. 

The lightweight, Americanised vocals of opener ‘The Start’ sound like it needs escorting back to the teen-soap soundtrack vault from whence it came, whilst ‘Safety’ is just more of the same eyes-shut, brow-furrowed AOR.
Third track ‘Always The Same’, with its soaring pianos and harmonies make this the best of the bunch, bringing to mind the simple melodies of the excellent Gin Blossoms from the mid nineties.  Soon though, we are back firmly in middle of the road with ‘Sing Our Hearts Out’, its guitar and drums reminiscent of arena-behemoths U2.  And, whilst closer ‘Finish What We Started’ proves that Dave Wright has the vocal abilities that you’d hoped for (but were missing on the previous tracks), it is ultimately let down, as the other tracks are, by some unabashed rock-by-numbers.

Released 03/03/08 on Suretone Records.