aaamusic | On 09, Apr 2012

Whilst they’re probably sick of being compared to their chums Kasabian, there’s no escaping the fact that Modern Faces are from that same vein of nineties swagger rock and roll, tinged with psychedelia. Even these tracks’ titles, Cynical Brother and Pravda Scrolls, would look happily in place on a Kasabian LP.
However, there are a lot worse bands to be compared to, and these songs are a steady, if unspectacular contribution to the band’s growing back catalogue. There’s a likeable self-importance to their material – as if there’s something incredibly profound being said by the lyrics, which of course there isn’t, but who cares? They also have an ability to produce strong riffs, evocative psychedelic harmonies and Gallagher-esque aggressive vocals.
Cynical Brother is the stronger track of these two, sounding a bit less generic and more distinctive than Pravda Scrolls, and certainly, if I was to have to listen to a full album from these guys, I’d hope for a bit more variation and contrast throughout. Otherwise, things would inevitably start to get incredibly tiresome. However, for early days, they’re showing plenty of potential and song-writing know-how. As long as they keep growing and developing rather than following the route of so many bands and ending up in a predictable rut, they should be capable of great things.

★★★★★

Rupert Uzzell