[4/10]
This Mind of Mine is the debut EP of Brighton rockers As It Is, and considering the band only formed in May 2012, this EP shows real signs of promise. Opening with ‘Bitter Broken Me’, this song goes through the standard motions of pretty much every self-reflecting band feeling sad over a break up. They’re not going to get down and are going to come back as a better, stronger version of themselves – they promise! While this can be done well (look no further than The Upsides by The Wonder Years) this topic has been done to death over the last 5 years. As It Is really do play up every cliché in this song, completed with a slow emo breakdown in the middle – something which droves of bands have experimented with – New Found Glory’s ‘All Downhill From Here’ was one of the better ones.
The second track is ‘Horoscopes’ which is definitely the strongest song of the album. Yet another hugely unoriginal track, though nonetheless still enjoyable if you like bands such as Man Overboard. While it follows the pop punk 101 formula for writing a song, it is done so well here that it is difficult not to delight in it. By ‘Cant Save Myself’, you more or less know what to expect from this band.
‘Relieve Yourself’ is the token slow ballad tacked on the end of the EP. It is a welcome change of pace however it sees the band wear their influences on their sleeve slightly too much here, with it at times sounding like a poor Jimmy Eat World or Get Up Kids cover. There is nothing different or exciting about As It Is, they are simply yet another band that is diluting an already saturated scene.
However overall the EP is fine – it’s not bad but it’s not good either. The band are still finding their feet and their sound so it’s probably too soon to write them off completely, since the EP does show a couple of signs of promise. Any future releases are sure to be very intriguing as we see the band mature and improve as both musicians and song-writers – seeds of potential may have been sown on this EP.
Sam Taylor
