Despite having only been a fully-realised band since the formative days of last year, Birmingham-based alt-funk outfit The New Ages have been slowly gathering momentum over the course of the last twelve months, culminating in the release of their debut EP Piper Man which earned them such praise as “...as if Flea and co. found themselves in a room jamming with Arctic Monkeys”. Not bad going for a band who, at the time, had been together less than a year.

 

Piper Man, a six track amalgam with all the spark and flair of funk, juxtaposed against the gritty candour of indie, is a quality first effort from the lads, and one which has no doubt given them far more confidence in themselves as a band. Tracks such as 'Home' exhibit their funkier side fantastically, with a loose, occasionally muted guitar sounding particularly suited to the track, whilst singer Ant Evans' vocals are seemingly at their best, effortlessly backed up by an understated vocal harmony. 'Alive' on the other hand, has a distinct disco quality to it, the production on the bass alone being something worth mentioning, every note, slide and fill perfectly discernible beneath a frenetic discofunk ensemble.

 

One track which ultimately shows off the bands potential, comes in the form of 'Waterfall', the final track on the record and slower than previous songs. With a little less funk, it feels like the band already stepping in to a maturing process, the spaces between the notes becoming equally as important as the notes themselves.

 

While The New Ages aren't perfect as a band, the potential they show is massive, and the passion and the energy they have for their music is almost tangible. It's also worth noting here, that this EP was released last year, and there's every chance that newer material from The New Ages will far outweigh that which is included here. Also, their personal penchant for all things funk will no doubt transfer perfectly to a live environment, something which should certainly be taken in to consideration when you check the band's recordings out. Not perfect, but by no means bad, The New Ages are a band who, given some time and the right support, could find themselves very popular.