No exit plan - out of the dark

No Exit Plan

Out Of The Dark Ep
self-released; 2013

3.6 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Hailing from Leicester, UK, No Exit Plan is a duo consisting of Andy Bennet and Richard Harris, starting out as a studio project with the idea to expand the line up to a full band when more chances to perform live arise. Given the nature of the project, you can expect a full band sound that you wouldn't normally get from a full line up as opposed as a pair of musicians, but in a studio everything is possible! Andy and Richard set out to blend their pop-punk background with an electronic set of sounds on their EP Out Of The Dark, a collection of four songs that blink an eye to new wave pop, but keep the grit and raw energy that only a loud electric guitar can deliver on the forefront of their mixes. 

"They'll Never Know" is the first of the batch, opening with heavy riffs and catchy melodies, perfectly balancing the power and the melody. The  vocals are distorted during the verse and the once the chorus hits its almost as if they just change genres. I had conflicted feelings about this. “Coffee Jar” follows the same line, if even a little more 80s oriented, with the tight, gated snare and heavy-synth arrangement. This song could be described as an interesting and unusual clash between bands like Fall Out Boy and Skid Row in their 80s glory days. "Let It Sleep" brings the guitar back on the forefront of the sonic formula crafted by the Leicester duo, spiced up with a really interesting drum groove and cool synth bass lines.Closing number "Face" is described as an EP bonus, and it could be considered a bold song to feature on this EP because it contrasts quite a lot with the rest of the music, showcasing a straight-out dance pattern. There are only four songs on this EP, but this is enough to give a hint of the broad vision so dear to the band and to shine a light on their eclectic approach.

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