Northpaw
Having grown up feasting on the aural delights of Glassjaw, Thrice, Norma Jean and The Bled, and adding to that, genuine craft and an imaginative approach to penning highly engaging slabs of post-hardcore, ‘Northpaw’ have materialized a sound that is whole-hearted, intense, and ultimately compelling.
Formed in Alton, Hampshire, at the end of 2011, and consisting of long-time friends Charlie Grout-Smith (Vocals), Spencer Huet (Guitar and Vocals), Andy Allen (Drums), Jack Robinson (Bass), and Josh Irvine (Guitar), the band decided on their moniker courtesy of guitarist Spencer Huet, who having grown up in Texas, earned the nickname due to his baseball exploits.
The newly formed quintet then began to ink a series of songs and wasted no time in striking out on the live circuit.
The hardcore crew toured through the heart of the UK in 2012 with rising stars ‘Violet’, in support of their debut self-titled EP. The record had a limited internet release, but still managed to increase the band’s growing fan-base whilst garnering impressive reviews.
Grounded by their roots and encompassing an underlying concept of movement and maturity, their brand new EP ‘Trepidation’ thematically travels the same path towards staunch loyalty that has been such an integral part of Northpaw.
Trepidation certainly delivers on all fronts, exploding with innovate ideas and cut-throat riffs. The first track, ‘Extinction’ soon kicks you in the teeth with its inventive math fret-flurries and progressive groove that nods gleefully towards ETID.
While ‘Face Needs’ illustrates the five-some’s supreme ability to deliver a hook, as Grout-Smith flexes his vocal pipes as he impressively swings from abundantly melodic to gut-wrenchingly raw within a heartbeat, while sparring with his vocal counterpart Huet in the process.
‘Habitus’ is an adrenaline-fueled shot of earnest angst modern punk-rock that helps to demonstrate the band’s notable diversity and sheer intensity, while ‘Artificial Respiration’ slams the door shut on the EP with stunning effect.