Tom Stephens and the Retreat: EP

Anyone for some Alternative Rock? A genre many thought had died out at the end of the '90s seems to be going through a bit of a resurgence lately.  The (really, really, really awfully named) Royworld seem to be doing alright for themselves, and now Tom Stephens and the Retreat have stepped manfully into the arena.  They'd probably be appalled at this pigeonholing, but I honestly can't think of a better "label" for the thoughtful, gutsy rock that these guys are peddling.

Having only recently acquired a copy of their current EP, I have to say they're much better when seen live and, more importantly, loud.  In the flesh, they sound much bigger and fuller than a four-piece has any right to.  With so many bands at the moment wearing their indie/nu-rave/whatever credentials on their sleeves, I must say it's refreshing to see some clean-cut, straight-down-the-middle rock music.

[audio //www.bearfacedrecords.com/EbMBlog_mp3s/TomStephensAndTheRetreat/TomStephensAndTheRetreat_TheNest.mp3]

Tom Stephens and the Retreat - The Nest