London trio Famous have this week returned with their new EP, The Valley, a 6 track release following on from the release of their debut EP, England which was released in 2019. The new EP allows listeners to see a more intimate side to the band, a more hopeful, optimistic release than England, which works to the band’s advantage.
The EP opens with Stars a track which avid listeners will already be familiar with, as it has become a staple of Famous’ live sets. Stars tells the story of the enchanting idea of getting a second chance in life, offering introspective lyrics that reflect on the life of vocalist Jack Merrett. It opens the EP wonderfully, introducing listeners to the frantic journey they’re going to take within the following tracks.
We’re then introduced to Nice While It Lasted, which was released as the first single from this EP, back in October 2020. A pure adrenaline rush of a track which will leave you wanting to move. The instrumentation displayed within Nice While It Lasted sees Famous excel.
Fourth track, Modern Times is a definite highlight upon The Valley, an alluring number that takes your hand and drags you into a wall of noise that sees Jack’s vocals turn from quiet and calm into wicked screams. Modern Times sees Famous explore types of escapism, the toxicity of possession and substance abuse. ‘Modern Times’ introduces listeners to the chaos that is to follow, and does so with grace.
Each track on The Valley differs from the last, yet they all work together extremely well. Animal keeps up with that, it’s short but powerful, featuring crazy drums which push it into a field of its own. ‘The Beatles’, another stand out, closes The Valley, a massive finale which will leave listeners in a state of awe, a central piece to the EP which fans already adore.
The Valley sees Famous experiment with their sound further which plays directly into their hands, the EP is an entity of its own captured within the space of 6 tracks. The EP is a strong second release, leaving us hanging on for whatever’s next.
