EP Review: Sans Parents ‘Dead End’

There’s plenty of indie pop-rock coming to the market at the moment, and that means that you’ll be scratching your head, wondering if any of it is worth your precious ear time. With the number of bands announced on festival lineups that you’re scrambling to listen to in an an effort to impress your friends with “I heard them ages ago”, we know you’ll be flat out like a lizard ripping beer bongs.

Time to take a tip though; put some time aside for Sans Parents and their debut EP ‘Dead End’. Two of the members of the outfit came from the dissolution of Hungry Kids of Hungary, while another is fronting Rolls Bayce. Their five track release blends a lot of indie pop and surf sounds together with witty lyrics and smooth vocal harmonies into a well structured and fun set of tracks.

“If this was extended to a full release it might get a bit monotonous, but at just five short songs, the small flourishes and overall quality will keep your attention!”

The first track on the EP is Dead End, which sets the tone for the whole release with its poppy guitar sound and choppy bass. This choppy and poppy combo continues to be a theme throughout the whole release, but it’s most effective in Dead End. The choruses are beautifully built around the harmonising of frontman Alex Bennison’s vocals and the organ. That organ sound then combines with the fuzzy guitars to really sell an old school indie sound.

The first single from the EP was Loose People and you can see why the band felt they were putting their best foot forward with this one. The drive behind the track comes from the vocal line in many parts, as it is backed by guitars and organs. A tight rhythm section also keeps the track moving along, and towards the end of the track, the different segments come together to make for cool vocal harmonies and messy sounds.

Maybe The World’s Trying To Tell Me Something… channels a mid 2000s British indie rock sound with its riff and fuzzy bass lines. Lyrically the track talks about the how the singer views his relationships. “Think of the way your life could have been if you’d only answered the phone/Think of the way it would have been if you’d only trusted another soul/Maybe the world’s trying to tell me something/Maybe it’s not.”

Ticking the box for the obligatory slower song that makes its way into most EPs is the ironically named Can’t Stop Moving. The guitar takes a back seat with muted strumming, letting the vocals shine in the verses, with bass and organ taking over in choruses. However Shouting Between The Lines brings the mood back up. Kicking off with interesting vocal harmonies and interactions between the bands three vocalists, the song starts to double down on the surf vibes with echoing chords and wailing notes in the chorus. As the song comes to an end, the structure starts to disintegrate with duelling drum and guitar solos, and a wall of sound.

The EP does double down on the indie pop-rock sounds, but there is just enough differentiation between songs to not get boring. If this was extended to a full release it might get a bit monotonous, but at just five short songs, the small flourishes and overall quality will keep your attention!

Sans Parents Live Dates

FRI 2 SEP
The Foundry, Brisbane
SAT 24 SEP
The Retreat, Melbourne
FRI 30 SEP
Rare Finds Party, Sydney

Get Tickets HERE