Upon first listen, this 4-track demo is the sound of teenagers brought up by the UK rock revolution. 'Fake Happy/Think Happy' bears all the hallmarks of Hell Is For Heroes' post-hardcore stomp; metal-lite guitar work, emotionally ram-packed chorus, and the obligatory slowed-down middle section. Tom Higgins' vocals even resemble Justin Schlosberg's impassioned howling at some points - although it would be unfair to label STS as mere plagiarists. Surprising then, that the rest of the CD sets STS up as a less merry-go-punk Crackout, albeit with all the melodicism left in tact. One thing is clear clear - pop runs through their Northern Irish veins.
'Holding On' and 'Picture' could well be indie rock hit single material; STS's quirky Rivers Cuomo-talk of finding "pots of gold" and about being "in my radar" are quirky reminders that rock lyrics doen't have to be full of analogies and metaphors that allude to bleeding hearts and various other bodily organs not functioning quite right.
With slightly stronger songs and more emphasis on the pop, there's enough to suggest that, with the right backing, Split The Sky could well become a small scale Weezer. Nowt wrong with that.
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6Stu Chown's Score