Have you seen that phrase that says “don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the moon”?  Someone probably posted it as some form of meme on Facebook at some stage.  It’s probably the same type of person who normally posts about tea, shares hundreds of pictures of cats and has never aimed for anything more than six inches above their head, but that’s beside the point.

The truth of the matter is that you shouldn’t aim for the moon unless you’re an astronaut and if you can’t even stand on a chair, somewhere far below the sky is probably your limit.  There is the famous story of the Greek chap who tried to fly to the sun when horribly under-qualified to do so.  Things didn’t end well for him.

I often admire people with modest, achievable ambitions; those who don’t get ‘ideas above their station’, you might say.  And, while not wishing to slight them, this is where Kickstart the Season come in.  They are happy to wear their influences (Paramore especially evident) and their pop-punk genre on their sleeves. They have not aimed to be of the ilk of The Beatles, and consequently have not ended up as an Icarus-shaped mess on the ground.

In the context of their ambitions, ‘It’s a Thing! It Happened!’  is a very accomplished EP.  The Dublin five-piece have assembled four fine, well structured, pop-punk songs that make for an enjoyable listen. Lead singer Ciara Walker’s vocals are perhaps the weakest part of the set-up but this doesn’t derail the music. On opener Take Me Out, for example, the powerful guitars lead the way and the vocals only serve as an instrument to add to the mix, while Right Now is a duet between Walker and guitarist Sean Hodson.

Closer Breakaway is again shows a weakness in Walker’s vocals.  They lack power just when it’s needed to portray emotion in the slow track of the four.  The anthemic chorus in which her voice is supported by layering and back-up vocals, really saves the song.  The standout track, however, will be stuck in your head for hours after your first listen.  On my Mind will be on your mind “most of the time,” as the song itself says over its powerful, staccato guitars.

Kickstart the Season don’t re-invent the wheel with ‘It’s a Thing! It Happened!’ but they never try to.  They take the well established one we’re used to and use it to successfully navigate a fun, interesting, albeit very recognisable path.  For that, I salute them.