Hundred Reasons

There was a time when everything that Surrey emo pranksters Hundred Reasons touched turned to solid gold – their debut single (alright, EP), the ferocious ‘Cerebra’ _(or _‘One’, if you’re pedantic), sold a truck load, making Fierce Panda very happy indeed; their first few EPs for Columbia kicked the then Brit-rock crop into touch, ‘Remmus’ (that'll be 'Two' then) in particular proving to be a cut head-and-shoulders above anything occupying nearby shelf space; and their album, ‘Ideas Above Our Station’, captured the hearts and minds of kiddie consumers and cynical critics alike. Then something happened – post-album release the singles, quite literally, faltered. The band’s star, that had once shone so brightly, descended; their dominance of the UK emo market, at the time fledgling, faded; whatever – the point is that they spread themselves too thinly, and it was probably for the best that they dropped off the radar for a while.

Yet here they are again, up to their same old tricks, only this time they’re in front of a sell-out crowd at The Astoria, some change from the sweaty pub backrooms of only a few years ago. With album number two looming on the horizon, the inexplicably-badly titled ‘Shatterproof Is Not A Challenge’ (erm, it is, if you’re six), it’s time to see if these old dogs have learnt any new tricks alongside their established ones. The answer? Yes indeed, and some. Colin Doran mumbles new song titles from behind his still remarkably-buoyant bouffant – said titles enter one ear and pass through to the other without registering – but one new number really stands out, sounding positively Helmet-esque in terms of bastard-heavy bass and thumping, brain-shaking drumming. A guy down the front knows every word already; chances are in a month or two we all will. Disappointingly, a couple of new tracks sound as lightweight as the filler that marred 25% or so of ‘Ideas Above Our Station’, but with Larry Hibbit’s and Paul Townsend’s boundless energy bookending Doran’s equally enthusiastic performance, it’s hard not to get caught up in the moment. With time, any one of these initially unremarkable songs could well become another 'If I Could', at least.

Of the older numbers, ‘Remmus’ still sounds amazing, Doran’s “whoo!” _midway through receiving the choral backing it deserves from all that stand before him. Later the crowd sing what feels like an entire verse of _‘Falter’. I’ve never taken the time to really study the lyrics – which possibly explains my lukewarm appreciation of the song most H*R fans hold so dear – but I seem to be the only person in a thousand or so that hasn’t done his homework. The effect is startling; the walls resonating with the sound of a whole demographic’s heart and soul. It’s enough to propel that aforementioned metaphysical star back to its former status – shining brightly in the cosmos of whatever stellar scene Hundred Reasons get lumped in with come the release of ‘Shatterproof…’ – which the band, who look genuinely moved by the whole experience, and we ourselves should all be grateful for. In a world full of pretenders it feels good to have those that sparked what has now become a raging inferno back with us, and no amount of Funeral For A Friend t-shirts wandering the venue will change that. It’s time for the sons of the pioneers to move aside – daddy’s home.