Quitters are without a doubt one of my favourite discoveries of the last few years. Since stumbling across the incredible Good Night Memories, they've been a band I've recommended to anyone that would listen. In January of last year I was fortunate enough to catch them live twice and was blown away on both occasions. Now it's time for the French four piece to follow up Good Night Memories with their next release – the five track EP, Singing Like Nobody Is Listening. I was so excited to hear this.
Singing Like Nobody Is Listening opens with the song My Own Worst Enemy which featured as a CPRW video of the week a few months ago. If you've not seen it yet check it out here – it's so wholesome. My Own Worst Enemy immediately makes you realise exactly why Quitters gave this EP its title. From the start it's a wonderful, fists-in-the-air, big sing-along kind of time. The track is about realising that you always have a choice and that despite feeling frustrated and angry at the world there are always positives to find. A big highlight of the song for me is the small breakdown that builds to a great, gang vocal finale where the band shouts ‘My Own Worst Enemy’ repeatedly. Up next is Better Off Dead. This is, as you might expect, another big sing-along song and has a whole load of whoa-ohs throughout its duration but it also feel more restrained that My Own Worst Enemy. It doesn't sound as if Quitters really get into top gear on this song but that only adds to the power of it. This is one I'm really wanting to hear live with a room full of people shouting every word back at the band.
Letter To Forgotten Friends sees the tempo get increased and also sees the introduction of more jangly guitar riffs that were used so brilliantly on Good Night Memories. This may make it my favourite song on Singing Like Nobody Is Listening. It combines the best parts of this EP as well as the previous album. Featuring an abundance of gang vocals, the song has that inclusive feel to it that I really love. Another track that I just have to witness live. Letter To Forgotten Friends is about trying to reconnect with old acquaintances and trying to figure out what happened to your friendships. The penultimate song is titled Burn Your House Down. Falling more into the indie punk style rather than being a gruff punk sing-along, Burn Your House Down sees a more restrained Quitters showing off some of their sublime musical ability, particularly the lead guitar part. On this track the band show that they're definitely not one trick ponies and can feature a number of different style in their songwriting. Singing Like Nobody Is Listening finishes with Biting The Dust. I always enjoy when an EP or album's final track sounds like a final track. Whether it puts an exclamation point on the release or ends with an epic flourish, a final song needs to leave an impression. Biting The Dust does this. Combining everything I've loved about the EP into three and a half minutes – big singing moments, wonderful musicianship and a sweet ending that has me thinking of the lengthy outro of The Brighter Shades Of Time from Good Night Memories. I love this little Easter Egg.
This is the first release from 2019 that I've reviewed this year and it already has me thinking it's going to place highly on my end of year list – it's that good! I love Quitters.
Stream and download Singing Like Nobody Is Listening from the 18th of January here: https://quittersmusic.bandcamp.com/music
Like Quitters here: https://www.facebook.com/quittersmusic/
This review was written by Colin Clark.
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