Since I joined a forum named ‘Punkdisasters’ back in 2007, I’ve had the fortune of being able to watch the meteoric rise of an Australian band named For Our Hero. I can quite clearly remember reading Beau Taplin’s lyrics for the first time and realising that this band was going places fast.

   And so that all culminates in the band’s first release, the 5-track EP ‘Threw The Looking Glass’. From the spiky opening guitar riff and half-time drumbeat of ‘Bez, Knows The Score’ the band’s mission is initially clear. This is hearts-on-sleave stuff, in the vein of modern pop-punk acts a la Fall Out Boy. In fact many comparisons could be made to Patrick Stump in Jay Taplin’s delivery; the soulful crooning of ‘Put tickets on me I’ll only keep’em to fly us home’ on ‘Curtain Calls on Walkabouts’ is lightyears ahead of the All Time Low crowd, yet sits comfortably with them. And that’s what makes For Our Hero a rare thing in this modern age - A punk-influenced band with a talented singer. Elsewhere Leon Blair sprawls melodic guitar solos that stay the right side of pretention, especially on the hearfelt ‘Here’s Looking At You Kid’. Bassist Geoff Taylor and drummer Nathan Vee work well together to give songs such as ‘Tell’em They’re Dreaming’ a relentless rhythm that pays homage to, but never fully plagiarises Green Day. However, it’s closer ‘Mister Prozac’ where it all comes together. Beau Taplin’s tales of heartbreak and failure in the music business never sound as genuine as in the finale and the guitar work of Dave Tran and Leon Blair is simple yet effective, culminating in the band’s finest work so far, and leaving the listener begging for more.

Lyrics: 9/10
Musicianship: 6/10
Songwriting: 8/10
Vocals: 8/10
Production: 7/10

Overall: 7/10

Recommended Tracks: Mister Prozac, Here’s Looking At You Kid

- Mat Carter