2013 has been a great year for the Northern Irish music scene. The 6 counties have produced two of the year’s best albums in ‘All Hail Bright Lights’ by ASIWYFA and ‘The New Life’ by Girl Names. When you add in Two Door Cinema Club, the North is well and truly a hotbed of quality music once again. Looking to be the next big break out band are Hurdles. The Belfast based quartet have been garnering high praise as of late and have just released ‘Where to Start’, their debut EP.

Proceedings open with the aptly named Intro. Clocking in at a little over a minute in length it’s a brief opener but it still gives a good indication of what to expect on this EP; that being slick smooth indie pop.

The song segues nicely into Where to Start; a dance floor ready indie number, there’s a lot to appreciate about this one. First and foremost is the drumming; Ross Haymes is technically superb and is the bands main selling point. He and bassist Eoin Bleeks lock in perfectly, creating a contagious rhythmic backdrop. The two guitarists play their part too. They’ve got great chemistry and they get a nice ebb and flow going. Completing the act, vocalist Niall Hanna’s delivery is hardly head turning but his understated style more than suits the band’s sound.

Roadrunner comes next and is a slower, more angular number. There’s a Strokes ‘Room On Fire’ era vibe to it; it’s got that same synth like guitar sound and Hanna’s laconic vocals are very similar to Julian Casablanca’s. While it lacks the immediate impact of Where to Start this is still a fine song, one that builds to a very fine crescendo.

Control is another upbeat melodic, indie pop track. The band is probably sick of the comparison but this one really brings to mind Two Door Cinema Club. In fact the entire EP is fairly indebted to their Northern compatriots. Not that that’s a bad thing, but at the same time a little more originality wouldn’t go a miss in places on this EP.

The album finishes with the Ruthless. The strongest song on the album, this is a slice of indie disco brilliance. The off kilter rhythm is so infectious it compels you to dance. The guitar line on the chorus sounds amazing too. It really makes for a wonderful end to a very impressive debut.

If Hurdles can maintain the standard set here on their next release, then it’s not a question of if but when they make it big. A little more distinction and distance from their influences, perhaps, but other than that these lads are definitely on the right course. For now, enjoy this for what it is, an excellent introduction to Belfast’s best new band.