After the reasonably successful 2002 album This Is Where I Stand, and having gained a loyal fan base, Easyworld returned with their swansong Kill The Last Romantic. The talent of this relatively unknown Eastbourne trio – or, more specifically, that of frontman David Ford - is on clear show and begs the question of what might have been had the band not split in 2004.

The theme of the album, primarily one of heartache and unrequited love, is represented not only in the lyrical content of the songs themselves, but also in the record’s artwork and structure, starting and ending with defiant cries of longing and expressing a multitude of other emotions in between.

Don’t get the wrong idea, though – this isn’t just a collection of melancholy musings shoehorned into songs that leave you wanting to end it all. After the tone is set with the opening track Kill The Last Romantic, a lively and catchy song in the form of 2nd Amendment nulls any sense of this just being a slow and unexciting aural experience. Celebritykiller and When You Come Back I Won’t Be Here are, while not necessarily the chirpiest of songs, similarly presented alongside 2nd Amendment.

Admittedly, the majority of the songs here focus on the not-so-great side of love and relationships, but they’re delivered in a way that still leaves you feeling positive. The fact that almost everyone can relate in some way to what Ford is saying makes some tracks, such as Tonight and A Lot of Miles From Home, all the more striking.

Some might draw likenesses to bands such as Coldplay or Aqualung, but to do that would place Easyworld among a long list of ‘wannabees’ attempting to emulate the sound and success of the former. To put every band that includes piano and soaring vocals under that banner would be absurd. No comparisons to others are needed here, as Easyworld deliver their own interesting style that works exceptionally well.

One minute loud and brash, the next haunting and so very emotional, the range of styles here is just another showcase of what this band can do. The standout tracks are the aforementioned piano pieces, Tonight and ‘Til The Day, accompanied by Ford’s beautiful voice. “Oh it’s so beautiful and sad, need for nothing but I want you bad” is a prime example of what this album’s trying to get across. If it doesn’t make you think back to a guy/girl you’ve fallen for at some point, nothing will.

There are one or two weaker tracks on Kill The Last Romantic, but that doesn’t make them bad – the rest of the album is simply so good that they just sound ordinary in comparison. The soaring and effervescent finale in the shape of Goodnight is a stunning end to a truly beautiful and compelling album. If you have a heart, have ever been in love, and can appreciate musical brilliance when you hear it, you need to hear this album.

Release date: 02/02/2004
Artist website: www.easyworld.nice-design.co.uk
Label: Jive

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