Chesterfield’s very own Folk Punk Rock band, Crooked Few, have released their first EP The Dead after being in the music scene for some years now. It’s an explosion of musical talent and definitely an EP you don’t want to miss out on hearing.
The first song off the EP is Dead. It’s all about going through a break up. It opens up with powerful guitars, hard-hitting drums, and violin. Straight away you get the idea of what this band is about. There’s no messing around when it comes to Crooked Few. The vocals soon come in and fit the song perfectly. The lyrics ‘if you can’t live without me, how come you’re not dead?’ are quite funny but also true when it comes to breaking up with someone. This song is so fun and truthful when leaving someone.
The second song is John Henry which is only 2 minutes 30 seconds long, but it is a fast, lovable, and quirky track. It is actually a cover of an American-folk song but Crooked Few have certainly made it their own! The vocals are super raspy and fit the style of the way the band have produced this track. I think having the use of violin and flute in this song make it sound like something from Medieval times. The band have certainly done a brilliant job with this one.
The third track is also a cover of Jolene by Dolly Parton. It is definitely a good cover but I do think the vocals are a little shaky to begin with. I think this cover has a great instrumental but there doesn’t seem to be much passion within the vocals, they’re a bit flat. Other than that, it is a brilliant folk punk cover.
Fourth and fifth tracks Tables and Keep Moving are unique and fast-paced. Tables is slower than Keep Moving but still has that rock-edge to it. It starts off with electric guitar and drums, setting the tone and slowly brings in the violin’s powerful sound. I do like Tables but Keep Moving is a lot more punker and hard-hitting. It sounds like something Billy Idol would bring out in the 80s.
Last but not least, we have the final two songs – another cover These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ and Crooked Ways. Both of them are brilliant tracks, but Crooked Ways is just an instrumental which sounds phenomenal. It is much slower to anything else on the album and I think they could do an extended version going into a much heavier kind of vibe and bringing out the raw rock-edge they all portray in the other tracks.
This EP is 100% worth the listen. I do wish they included more of their own stuff rather than the covers, but Crooked Few are most definitely going to be a band that the rock community know about. Their stuff is astounding and I highly recommend listening to these guys if you haven’t already checked them out!
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