On first listen to this split EP by Ceilings and Southlakes, I had trouble distinguishing between the two artists. Admittedly it makes sense for them to release a split, considering their similarities, but neither band left a major impression on me.

Ceilings were up first, and I was immediately underwhelmed by them. Whilst their shouty vocals help to demonstrate their passion for the music, I found the lyrics difficult to interpret. Maybe this style of vocals just isn’t for me, but I scrabbled around trying to put a positive spin on them, and I just couldn’t.

The drumming in both tracks is really interesting, especially ‘I’m having the best day of my life…’ – it adds a nice twist to what could have been two fairly generic emo songs.

However, I think the drumming was the most inspired element of these tracks: the guitars were pretty repetitive, and whilst the overall package is pretty grungy, it also feels unfinished. I was definitely left wanting more from Ceilings.

Southlakes, on the other hand, were much more to my taste. I definitely prefer their vocals overall – the verses in ‘You Had Me At Lmao’ are mellow and reflective, which contrasts really well with the chorus’s punchy gang-vocals.

The guitars were also a lot more interesting to listen to, and the drumming, whilst not particularly innovative, provided a stable heartbeat to counteract the more erratic elements of the tracks.

Southlakes’ songs were a little short, weighing in at just over four minutes the pair, but they said what they needed to say succinctly without wailing, rambling or dragging the tracks out for longer than was really necessary.

At a little under 10 minutes total listening time, this split EP gave me a real taste of what both Ceilings and Southlakes had to offer. My overall verdict, on further reflection, is that while both bands have a lot of work to do, Southlakes appears to have a lot of potential waiting to be utilised, and I’m excited to hear more from them in future.

– Katie Boyden