Mark Vennis & Different Place: Sunrise EP
Out now
As the western world convulses inside the insane outpourings of Trump, and Prime Minister ‘Fear Starage’ postures pathetically about Kneecap’s supposed unsuitability for Glastonbury, the new extended EP from Mark Vennis & Different Place, originally released last November, arrived on my doormat as a pleasing and welcome distraction…
First surprise was that it looks more like an LP, given it’s a full-sized 12” vinyl disc carrying 11 tracks in all. There’s some classy artwork too, which makes it a physically striking release in itself.
Side One kicks off with the anthemic Song For Sunrise, an uptempo call to arms for the politically downtrodden, featuring relentless powerhouse drumming and some terrific guitar work. Multi-layered vocals add to the atmosphere and all-in-all, it’s a rousing rebellious start to proceedings.
Next up, In These Times is built around a powerful intense hook and a veritable kaleidoscope of guitar interplay, punctuated by Vennis’s tense, biting, lead vocal. These opening two tracks crystallise the grown-up protest music that has marked the band’s output in recent years, such energies themselves being an acute reflection of the punk rock generation’s refusal to go quietly into old age. Mark Vennis & Different Place are still raging and letting the world know about it.
It’s 2025 and this is radical England Calling. In no uncertain terms.
On Collapsing Buildings, Vennis stands lamenting societal decay and collapse within ”a crumbling English town”. It’s an evocative sub-apocalyptic image and a thematic lyrical route he follows very effectively into the next song. This Heartless Land also features deft instrumental shadings and again, some beautifully haunting guitar passages.
Side One closes with Solid Ground, a contemporary Stones-style rocker that emerges from a gentle, breathy melodic intro to utilise some cracking guitar work entwined with lyrical messages of hope and redemption. Quality-wise, it’s a fitting closure and had the EP only existed of these five songs, it would have fulfilled its mission with musical eloquence and aplomb.
Via Side Two however, Vennis and the band gift us some additional mixes of tracks covered here, along with an extra song All The Years (Also available as a single) which opens things with a striking reggae groove, augmented by yet more tasteful guitar textures. A welcome addition.
It’s another track which emphasises the musical quality on show, with the song title itself echoing the journey of a band that know each other inside out after years of creative explorations. These extra mixes make for an impressive bonus factor on a splendid EP, which augurs well for the next Mark Vennis & Different Place album project.
That LP is named after the famous Robert Graves novel Goodbye To All That, with grapevine rumblings indicating that it will be a conceptual examination of the decline of the British Empire. On the basis of this EP, it’s an album I await with great interest.
Very much an EP of our times and highly recommended for all those of a resistance-orientated mindset.
BAND:
MARK VENNIS – Guitars, lead vocals
DAVE SWEETENEHAM – Bass
SEAN QUINN – Guitar
BRIAN GEE – Drums
Available from Stream on SoundCloud
ORDER VINYL EP COPY: Sunrise E.P
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All words Richard David whose author profile is here.
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