EP Review: Johnny Foreigner – Feels Like Summer

EP REVIEW: Johnny Foreigner – Feels Like Summer

Words: Gareth O’Malley

Who says that the best things in life aren’t free? Johnny Foreigner would have you think that they most definitely are. The Birmingham three-piece (that’s guitarist Alexei Berrow, drummer Junior Elvis Washington Laidley and bassist Kelly Southern, right) made this EP available through their website a few weeks ago, for nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. That is a pretty sweet deal, from where I’m standing. It helps, too, that it is an absolute gem.

The three-song EP opens with its title-track, which we heaped praise upon a few months back. Its position as the most immediate thing the band have written to date still stands, in this reviewer’s opinion. But what of the two new tracks? Well, actually, one of them is only sort of new. ‘Camp Kelly Calm’ was the flipside to debut single ‘Sometimes In The Bullring’, released way back when in 2006. It’s nice to see old demos resurrected and given some studio polish, and a makeover has really benefited the song. Alexei Berrow delivers some absolutely fantastic lines, such as, ‘You said, “See, I’m not just a pretty face” / And how you’re wrong! You’re not, you’re not even pretty!’ and, ‘Don’t care, you’re a fool, and I’m stealing your words / Like an AK-47 in a nightclub full of handguns’. One thing about Alexei is that he has an astonishing turn of phrase, but then you knew that already, of course – ‘Hot girls know the words to our songs, and I’m terrified of what comes next’ – that’s from ‘Yr All Just Jealous’ off last year’s debut record, ‘Waited Up ‘Til It Was Light’. Usual quality of lyrics from him, then.

What is new, though, is that JoFo’s hook-writing ability has definitely improved. ‘Wow. Just Wow’ is a perfect example of this, a song that shows how far the band have come in the three years the current line-up have been together. The track is driven by excellent drumming from Junior, and reaches a high-point midway through the song, as Kelly takes vocals. Her impassioned cry of ‘You have gone deaf!’ wraps things up in style, as the EP is brought to an abrupt halt. All this is achieved in just under seven minutes. Take that, Tokyo Police Club.

I figure I may as well put the whole thing up here, as I really can’t choose a favourite track. The three tracks are every bit as good as each other.

The album is preceded by new song ‘Criminals’ on Monday October 12th. It’s called ‘Grace And The Bigger Picture’. It’s out on October 26th. Get excited.