8 out of 10. Good, borderline great. The biggest fault with many indie pop bands, in my opinion, is the cutesy factor. Now, this isn't to say Safety First aren't a little bit "cute", but in the way an indie pop band should be. What I mean by cutesy factor is the way in which some indie pop bands needlessly remind you that they're pop with cheesy synths and "silly" lyrics. Okay, that's great, now play the damn music, please? Can I get an indie pop band who can write some good pop songs please? Isn't music supposed to be about the songs? Safety First use a cheesy synth every once in a while. And yeah, their vocalist has a bit of that nasally whine. But they can back it up, they're good songwriters! Unsurprisingly, indie rock clichˇ is the biggest and probably only problem with the nine tracks on their demo. Goofy synths break the otherwise genuinely emotional "I Need Counseling", and "We're Taking Over and You Know It" relies heavily on them, for good reason (being the least serious song), but the song also sounds the most out of place (somewhat deceiving as an opener). "Bounce Back", however, uses them softly and subtly, working them into the mix of emotional delivery and pop songcraft. The rest of the CD works with a great mixture of catchy vocal melodies, gentle acoustics or genuine rock songs. "Nervous Breakdown", the second track, shows off exactly what Safety First are best at - a catchy, mid-tempo indie rock anthem that soars. It's one to stick with. To contrast the two sounds Safety First are going for are two versions of "Jusswanna", a snappy pop song in a more full-band-rock-song form and a minimalist acoustic version. The rock version is superior, although the acoustic one works on the basis that "Jusswanna" is a worthy enough song. To say that the biggest fault is the occasional synthesizer might be a biased statement coming from myself, but I care to note that when synths are unnecessary, why bother? These are great songs. I've been listening to it casually in the past week alongside my beloved Guided By Voices (in preparation for the upcoming concerts, and I would usually avoid listening to much else except on a work basis). If you know me personally, you'll think - "Hey, that's something." It is. From what's contained on this CD, I'm willing to bet that Safety First are capable of a killer live act, and, just a personal opinion - ditch the synths, and you've got a pop album of the year.
