EP Review :: Puppet Rebellion - No Means Yes

Puppet Rebellion

No Means Yes

February 25 2014 (self-release)

9/10

Words: Dave Beech


They've been a band for barely a year, yet Manchester's Puppet Rebellion are already making waves both in their city and further afield, thanks in no small part to the depth of their musical prowes and intelligent lyricism. Last year's 'Chemical Friends' EP caused something of a buzz amongst bloggers and fans alike, with the eponymous track even featuring during half time at Old Trafford. With such lofty praise being heaped on the band almost from the word go, it was a worry that any further releases might well not live up to the expectations set out by their first. Fortunately, such worries are quickly done away with, as the band's second EP, 'No Means Yes', not only builds on the foundations laid last year, but exceeds the expectations set at the same time.

Beginning with 'Pirouette', it's clear that we're in familiar territory for the band; the frenetic instrumentation and quintessential vocal stylings of Simon Monaghan are as strong as ever, while 'Green Eyed Monster' follows a similar, if not heavier route. What really sets this EP apart from the last however, isn't how much tighter they sound as a band (though they do, something one wouldn't have thought possible) but rather how much more mature they sound. The huge, floor-filling indie anthems are all well and good, but every band needs a few softer tracks from which to offset the weight of the others, and with 'No Means Yes' Monaghan and co. have given us two.

Coming slap bang in the middle of the four (original) tracks featured, 'Cupboards Painted Red' and 'Loner In Disguise' to a lesser extent, both manage to provide a more tangible level of candour than the record's heavier outings and while neither soften as much as to be acoustic numbers, both do offset the pace of the record brilliantly. If 'Cupboards Painted Red' is Puppet Rebellion at the softest end of their spectrum, 'Loner In Disguise' is sitting on the fence between that, and the weight and energy of 'Green Eyed Monster', in what could easily prove to be a surprise live favourite.

If 2013 was the year in which Puppet Rebellion's name was banded about over a multiplicity of internet publications, then 2014 is the year it will ultimately be carved in stone. No doubt about it.