Crisis - The Bearcat Sessions

Crisis - The Bearcat Sessions

Crisis, the nom de plume of the Belfast based rock unit, and their newest EP The Bearcat Sessions was recently brought to my attention, so naturally, I sought it out on Spotify. The self-described ‘former pop band’ are an unsigned Prog/Alt Rock band with a flair for anger and aggression, something that forms the aesthetic of their latest release. The three-part EP has elements that encompass all of their described genre affiliations: from the alternative snarl of Wake Up to the rocky bite of Barricades (which has more than a hint of Thousand Foot Krutch) and the anthemic roar of Brighter, there is plenty to enjoy but not a lot to surprise you.

There's an impassioned energy that is infused in the lyrics which acts as the marshal for the EP. It’s an inspiring trait, one that could be so much more if the music that surrounded it was not so formulaic. While satisfying in the way in which only speedy, aggressive guitar music can be, the riffs and chord progression are far too similar to differentiate this EP from the saturated scene it finds itself in. Albeit, it is disingenuous for me to suggest that this is a bad EP; it's not. It’s exhilarating when at its best and the breakdowns sound like the play by play of a street riot. It does not take too much imagination to imagine a bar crowd going mental to the shredding acoustics of Wake Up, nor is a great mind needed to envision some curious festival go-ers drawn in by the soaring chorus of Brighter (which is the high point of the album, wherein Crisis push themselves beyond their rock-oriented restrictions to great effect). However, I am unable to distance myself from the fact that the same could be said about any number of rock EPs on the local scene.

A solid EP that warrants multiple listens (I certainly managed at least four) but lacking in a certain variation between songs that could push it over the hump, and weighed down by uniformity. If anything is to be taken away from The Bearcat Sessions is that there is a tremendous amount of potential here, it is undeniable. If Crisis manages to transform their high octane passion into something less predictable, then they’ll have a real monster on their hand. A Bearshark perhaps.


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