Hailing from Warrenpoint, The Shout are a pop punk band consisting of Colm Cunningham (lead vocals/guitar), Darren Carlisle (guitar), Ryan Fegan (drums), Kilian Foy (guitar) and Dermot Hughes (bass). You don’t get many pop punk bands from this neck of the woods, so when you find a really good one it’s a massive surprise. The band formed in 2013, quickly released three singles and three music videos, toured the UK (twice) and have now released a six track album called WRITE-DELETE-REPEAT. These guys work fast.
The first track, Wait For Me has a definite All Time Low/You Me At Six feel to it, with strong drums, clean boyish vocals and melodic harmonies. For a band called The Shout, their sound is a lot lighter than you’d think, with shimmering cymbals and pleading lyrics that are catchier than the common cold.
While We Where Young follows in the same vein and has a feel of early Fall Out Boy to it. This whole album reminds me of the music I used to listen to as an angsty teenager (arguably the best days of my life), and I like the way it makes me feel. More catchy lyrics and a few nice breakdowns give it the perfect pop punk flavour that will have fans coming back for more.
On and On has a bit more edge than the previous tracks, it comes in with some raucous guitar and continues with clashing drums. There’s not a single trace of an Irish accent throughout, this could easily be a polished American band and you’d never know the difference. There’s something extra though, something special that tells you this isn’t your typical pop punk outfit.
Frontman Colm’s lilting voice soars through The One, which is arguably the band’s catchiest track. There’s a few traces of an accent in this one, but it only makes it more interesting. As they chant the pseudo-chorus ‘hey hey hey hey’ similarities can be heard between The Shout and Northern Irish party-pop band The Wonder Villains.
Next up, The Runaway gives us a glimpse of that edge again, with tumbling drums and intricate guitar. This is a sophisticated set up and technically, this quintet certainly know what they’re doing.
Final track, Where Do We Go From Here takes it down a notch in a very Boys Like Girls-esque way. A few more hints of a Northern Irish accent and soaring vocals give this track a whimsical feel, something you’d listen to in your car after a break up. In a very good way.
Musically, WRITE-DELETE-REPEAT is a masterclass in the pop punk genre. It oozes buckets of emotion and charm while being a tight record as a whole. Personally, I really love what these guys are all about and after such a short time they seem to know exactly what they’re doing. So why not follow The Shout on Facebook or Twitter and check them out on Soundcloud and Bandcamp, to hear more.
