Deyaled At The Finish Line is the debut EP from Camden based Pop Punk group Big Light Show. Having been recorded in the intention of being released as an album under the title of 'Thunder Clouds' the band scraped the material which Alex Leuiso stated was 'not up to the standard that the band wanted to show from their debut' and believes that the material left upon the EP will assist them in finding a record label to support them with future releases.
Influences throughout the EP have been mentioned as featuring bands such as We Are The In Crowd, Fall Out Boy and Four Year Strong, the EP gives a classic feel on the so called 'dead' genre of music that is the Pop Punk music scene which most say died around 2008. However, the band believe that they can help bring it back, starting with this EP.
Recorded in Stakeout Studios, London, England over the course of 5 weeks (one of these weeks being a break from recording and just messing around) in late April/May the EP was produced by The Verdict Is Vengeace's Robert Williams with assistance from Alex Leuiso. Williams has mentioned that this EP is "easily on the of the best that will be released into the Pop Punk music scene for a while"
Title: Delayed At The Finish Line
Released: 18th June 2011
Format: CD EP, Digital Download
Recorded: Stakeout Studios, London, England
(April 2011 - May 2011)
Genre: Pop Punk, Alternative Rock
Length: 23:37
Producer(s): Robert Williams, Alex Leuiso
Label: Self Released
Singles:1) Conversation & Cheap Liquor Got Me Here
2) A Song For Those Who Have Experienced Heartbreak
An aggressive guitar opens the song, before the other instruments quickly add to the song with crashing symbols from the drums and the rhythm guitar changing into a higher sounding tone, more traditional alternative rock sound. After 20 seconds the vocals from Alex start, as the song follows the same structure. During the chorus, the guitars sound more typical pop-punky, with little distortion used, before the follow the format of the introduction throughout the rest of the song. Lauren all vocals in the chorus, and during the dip in the song in which the guitars play held out notes of the introduction riff before the lead guitar goes into a brief (not very complex) guitar solo, and the chorus is repeated before the song finishes with feedback from the guitars. The lyrics of this song focus on the party lifestyle, along with regrets because of the lifestyle and what it eventually causes someone to end up like.
2) Be(lie)veSlightly distorted and held guitar riffs along with fast vocals from Alex, a almost jazz sounding drum beat and a simplistic bass line start the song, following this format until the chorus, which then gains the vocals of Lauren, and a piano is heard to play fast and high pitched, with the drums changing to more of an alternative rock style. The format then swaps back to its original format, but with Lauren providing the vocals. The instrumental break in the song features the piano at the fast speed from the chorus, with a heavier sounding guitar riff, along with a heavier sounding drum beat, and then aggressive vocals from Alex come back as the song finishes in this heavier style. The lyrics of the song are about an unknown person who has been known to lie about their life.
3) Wait? You Called The Police?Originally the untitled demo from the Conversation & Cheap Liquor Single. The song features an upbeat fast distorted guitar riff during the introduction until the crash of symbols, in which the music changes to a gradual build up of upbeat held out pop-punk guitar riffs, simple drum beats, and a heavy bass line, along with an upbeat keyboard/synth loop playing throughout (increasing during the chorus). At the end of the song there is a slight breakdown, in which the instruments all make a higher attempt at a chugging breakdown sound, before it finishes with a hip-hop drum beat and laughing from the band in the background. The vocals of the song are provided mainly by Lauren throughout the verses, but vocals are shared with Alex during the chorus, who screams just before the breakdown the simple “oh” sound.
4) Don’t Make A SoundThe song opens with basic drumming, keeping the beat for Lauren’s vocals for the introduction of the song. The bass is added, overlapping the guitar until the chorus, all instruments have changed to the typical pop-punk instrumental sound (lacking complexity, and containing held guitar notes). During the chorus, there is a slightly harsher tone behind the guitars, which have a more important role than the bass at this point; Alex’s vocals are also used in the chorus. The music then goes back to the same structure as before the chorus, until an instrumental break, in which the guitar has a slight distorted tone and the speed of the drums increase. The outro of the song, follows the same musical style as the chorus, and has both Alex and Lauren singing different lines at the same time, overlapping each other and giving an harmonised feel to the song as it ends.
5) A Song For Those Who Have Experienced HeartbreakThe song starts with a piano playing at a reasonably fast pace with a saddening tone behind it. Along with the piano there is a build-up of soft guitar within the first verse, in which the vocals from Lauren are used, with backing chants that have been made to sound like echoes being provided by the rest of the band to mix with the held notes that Lauren provides, describing how everything that she had ever wanted during her teen years fell apart in one moment. With the second verse there is a use of a violin and a single bass note is repeated. Once the chorus is reached, the drums are used, providing only a slight use with the symbols and bass drum keeping a steady rhythm. The music stays similar to the chorus in the third verse, with the piano and violin starting to fade whilst the guitars, bass and drums continue to play in the same manner, with soft tones, but have become more dominant. There is a repetition of the chorus, which ends with a single symbol crash, before an instrumental is used with building tempos and slight aggressive tones within the guitars and drums, following with Alex repeating “I lost my way back home” with held out notes, before the song goes back into the piano lead introduction, but this time being used to close the song.
6) What’s The Problem Officer? [EP Version]A repeated keyboard effect is used during the opening of the song alongside Alex’s vocals. After the first line of sung vocals the keyboard effect goes and is replaced by a simplistic pop-punk guitar, bass and drum set-up, with the vocals being provided by Alex throughout the verses of the song, and by Lauren in the chorus. Towards the end of the song there the instruments and vocals sound as if they are coming from a radio, and sound highly distorted with the chants of “What’s the problem officer?” being heard during this as well, before the same music structure finishes the song with applause and random parts of conversation being heard. Lyrically the song is about enjoying life without having to worry about the police messing with you.
7) I Found Out (Finding Out Is The Best Part) [EP Version]A brief backing high sounding keyboard loop is used in the introduction to the song before Lauren’s vocals start and the other instruments begin to play in the background with the backing keyboard loop getting more powerful as Alex’s vocals begin. The keyboard loop then stops as the guitars, bass and drums all play catchy pop punk music, with the vocals in the song being split equally between Lauren and Alex making it sound like they are arguing. The chorus of the song is highly catchy. “I found out,that finding out is the best part. If you don’t believe, look at me. And I found out, that I really really hate you”, in the slight breakdown of the song, the keyboard loop re-enters, in the background, and the instruments continue in the same fashion as the introduction of the song, before the chorus is repeated and then the song finishes with vocals from both Alex and Lauren of “I really really hate you” being held as the music finishes. Lyrically the song is about Alex’s discovery of his girlfriend cheating on him, and realising how much he dislikes her for it.
PersonnelBig Light ShowLauren England - lead vocals
Alex Leuiso - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano
Jack Sampson - lead guitar
Anthony Hecox - bass guitar
Ben Warner - drums, purcussion
ProductionRobert Williams - producer
John Feldmann - mixing
Bradon Paddock & Eric Ron - mix assistants
Joe Gastwirt - mastering
Will Putney, Machine - engineer
Jeremy Comitas, Bill Purcell - editing/protools
Joe Spix - art direction & design
reviews up soon.
