Sophomore albums are always a mixed bag. There are so many ways they can turn out. Sometimes you get the second-album blues, where bands had so much more time to write and tinker with the material on their first album and then rush out a second album which is totally crap. Sometimes you get a straight rehash of the debut. And sometimes you get a jump to a more mature, fuller sound. Place Easyworldís Kill The Last Romantic in the third category. The trio from Eastbourne, England, have dropped their angular, toned-down Placebo-esque sound and are now producing fully realized sweeping pop numbers. First single ì2nd Amendmentî and its back-handed references to Americaís gun troubles is a shining spot, both in lyrical quality and melodic value. ìCelebrity Killerî is another standout tune, with itís fuzzed up bass and slide guitar riff. The glue that holds Easyworld together, however, is singer Dav Fordís excellent voice. Whether the primary aspect in ballads like ìA Lot Of Miles From Homeî or the spine-chilling ìTonight,î or as part of the mix in bouncier options such as ìAll I Can Remember,î Fordís one-of-a-kind tone is the first thing that you notice and the aspect that keeps you coming back for more. The romantics may be dead, but the songwriting skills and vocal prowess of Ford are very much alive.
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