When you think of Shropshire, you think of very rural areas and being near Wales. It’s not traditionally a breeding ground for rock and metal acts to come out of, but Cavalier Kings are a young quartet looking to try and break out of a scene which is generally overlooked in the wider UK alternative movement. In October, they released their first EP, entitled Faint Signals.
The main thing that Cavalier Kings have going for them on this debut, is their ability to write riffs. The music is catchy and very in feeling with the sort of melodic alternative rock that drove the turn of the century in acts such as A, Jimmy Eat World and co. While it is a style that has been done many times before, they can still carve out pretty unique riffs and strong song structures and that puts them in good stead for the future. The single that was released from the EP, “Skin Off”, is perhaps the strongest track on Faint Signals. It feels like the track that Cavalier Kings put by far the most time into, with the production sounding better, the guitars thicker, and the vocals much more on point than at any other time on the EP. It shows that the band can achieve an altogether consistent and catchy alt-rock tune, ready made for big venues and radio play, if they could really apply themselves to it.
However, this first EP is not without its flaws. Emo is known for its distinctive vocal style, but vocalist Fraz too often slips out of key and that can hold back the overall song quite badly. He’s not a bad singer for this style of music by any stretch, but in the way he tries to use his vocals with the music, he just seems to fall short of the mark and could really benefit from some practice before their next release.
Nobody is a naturally good singer really, and everyone needs practice and time to develop their vocal style. I don’t think Fraz is ready just yet, but his progress will be something that I’ll watch closely. There are also faint signals which give the impression that Faint Signals was possibly rushed in its production, which noticeable mistakes in the guitars towards the end of the EP in particular, whether it be a dud note in “Tidal Wave” or sounding entirely off in closer “Just Hang On”. Whether it’s down to budgetary restraints or time issues is anyone’s guess, but in a proper studio release these things should be dealt with long before they see the light of day.
The last thing any music journalist should ever do is criticise a band without good reason, or without any constructive advice for where they should look to improve. Cavalier Kings have shown on “Skin Off” that they’re capable of being a good band, but the rest of the EP just feels like it was recorded in a rush without enough real practice in order to keep everything on key and sounding like something you’d want to hear on Kerrang! Radio. Patience is the key. Hone your craft and when you’ve taken the time to do that, you will reap the rewards.