A project formed by two life-long friends from London, Little Fireworks are Scott Viney and Pierce Kavanagh. While the pair have played together previously in various projects, Little Fireworks sees them working as a duo, with Where Did The Light Go the first fruits of their labours. A short, bitter-sweet EP, it taps into the emotions, with each track subtly working its way past your defences, to lodge themselves deep in your psyche.
A four-track EP, Where Did The Light Go kicks off with the brisk Brother, a compelling hybrid of Final Straw-era Snow Patrol, Biffy Clyro, and latter-day Anathema. However, while the melodies are engaging enough to draw the attention, it’s the interestingly shoe-gaze-influenced guitar figures that help to keep things from slipping too far into mainstream territory and it makes for an impressive start. Those same atmospheric elements remain amidst the glistening heartbreak of Where Did The Light Go, which nods to The Cure’s poppiest moments, alongside the more modern influences on display. It’s arguably the EP at its best, and it neatly showcases the band’s potential.
Next up, the mid-tempo Vicious Tongue is a decent enough song, and it certainly packs in an addictive melody. However, the approach sees the band just a little too in thrall to their influences, although it does boast a strong, hope-fuelled climax. The EP finishes with My Best, a very different piece that gets the EP back on track as an impressive calling card for the band. With its awkward, shuffling rhythm, and a touch more grit in the guitars helping to elevate it away from the commonplace, it’s a fine conclusion to the record, and you get the feeling that it has the potential to hit hard when played live.
Where Did The Lights Go is almost certainly a tad too lightweight for the majority of our readers, but it has an interesting atmosphere that fans of indie’s more emotive end will certainly enjoy exploring. With addictive melodies, a strong performance from the duo, and solid production, it’s easy to imagine Little Fireworks reaching a wide audience with this one. 7.5/10
