EP Review: Blaenavon – Prague 99
Prague 99
Released 15th August 2017
Words: Charlotte Minett
After the release of their highly acclaimed debut album That’s Your Lot, there was no messing around for Hampshire’s trio, Blaenavon. This August marks five month since releasing the album and on the 15th of the month, the band’s fourth EP, Prague’99, was released. The young band is made up of Ben Gregory, Frank Wright and Harris McMillan, they have been a band throughout their school years and released their first EP KOSO in 2013. The title track of the new EP, Prague’99 was released on this first EP as Prague but has been revamped to Prague’99 for 2017. It’s easy to see why the boys have released it again due to the crowd reaction it gets. Frontman, Ben Gregory says “‘Prague ’99‘ is the people’s choice. Whenever we play it – whether amazingly or shite, to thousands or to no-one, it feels important. It’s been a game-changer for us and for the people that care about our music”. The title track place Prague’99 has on this EP is to give something back to their supportive fans.
This EP is a celebration of the band’s breakthrough 2017, neatly tying up the loose ends of a carefully built past including cut songs from the debut album. However with the perfect array of sounds Blaenavon have intertwined into this EP can’t help but make me so excited about the future for these boys. Prague’99 is the rockiest on the EP, and a big fan favourite. A Death in The Family is another fan favourite which Ben says they really couldn’t just let slip as it meant too much to them.
Monty Carlo Kid seems to be the track in which the band have stepped out of their comfort zone most with. On this track, Ben says “it’s spritely, ridiculous, but still a humongous tune”. They have chosen to but this happy-go-lucky sound alongside the “saddest song they will ever write” but it works and leaves us waiting on our toes to see what they have next to come. In summary, this EP of songs that didn’t make the cut for the album, showcase the biggest range of songs we have heard from Blaenavon, it seems to demonstrate each extreme of the band leaving us in the blue about what we can expect next, but in the very best way possible.
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