Out 11 April
Last year Fightstar announced they would be going on hiatus to work on solo projects, less than a year later frontman Charlie Simpson has released his first debut offering.
Down Down Down is the multi-textured debut single from Simpson's forthcoming album Young Pilgrim and is released alongside a three track EP featuring the original recording of the track.
The acoustic based, harmony flooded alt.ballad has already been chosen by Radio One's Fearne Cotton as her record of the week and is said to be inspired in part by Simpson’s love of the Beach Boys, Jackson Browne and Elliott Smith.
Fightstar fans are in for a bit of a shock with his solo material as Simpson makes a departure from the metal scene he has inhabited since 2005 and into new territory with this folk-rock ballad.
The transition is comparable to Dallas Green's side project from Alexis on Fire, City and Colour and the track would also sit comfortably within Thrice's Earth album.
Simpson will undoubtedly gain new fans with his solo material but Fightstar and even the few remaining Busted fans will enjoy the track as the 25-year-olds distinctive vocals are showcased like never before.
For a young artist who could have so easily been pigeon holed after Busted, Simpson deserves real credit for his musical manoeuvres across the genres and while a lot of fans would be heartbroken to see the back of Fightstar, the charts would gain a real credit if Simpson's solo project stood the test of time.
Verdict: 4/5
FemaleFirst Antonia Charlesworth
Tagged in Charlie Simpson