Any band mentioning Reuben as an influence immediately gets my attention, and for Patrons, that influence definitely shines throughout. The Plymouth four-piece are releasing their self-titled EP on cassette tape at the end of the month.

First track, ‘Rituals’, starts slow, but soon delves into something heavier and darker. The EP easily flows into second song ‘Movements’; a slower number that is almost reminiscent of A Whisper In The Dark crossed with Lightspeed Champion, with a fair amount of metal thrown in. It’s the most unique song on the EP really, and works really well individually, but seems a bit out of place in between the two other songs. They do save best for last though; ‘Little Victories’ is the best track of the three. The shouting is reminiscent of Reuben or even heavier Howard’s Alias songs. It’s relentless, but you still feel a bit gutted that it ends. It is shorter than the other songs however, which may go some way towards to explaining it.

Overall, Patrons have made a good start. It’s nothing special, but definitely worth a listen, if you can find a tape player that is.

(Don’t worry too much though; it’s also available online.)

– Alex Ryan