Now here’s a grower if ever I heard one. Cheeky boys Hollywood Ending are a good looking band who on first appearance you think give Lostprophets a run for their money. Luckily, they’re not.

They’re a funny lot these Mighty Atom bands. No two groups seem to fit one genre which gives the label full marks for originality but it also makes it difficult when deciding which band’s album to buy. I bought ‘Praying To Fiction’ on a whim, listened to it once and then returned it to it’s shelf. On first listen, I thought it was dull, no particular song grabbed my attention and the guitar riffs sounded samey…but I shouldn’t have given up so easily.

Two months later I saw Hollywood Ending play live and I got the chance to interview them. They were nice guys and their set didn’t particularly stand out but it was ear pleasing. I gave the CD another listen and enjoyed it. The difference between Hollywood Ending and most bands if the fact that they have three vocalists which makes their songs sound more like anthems than anything else. They do, however, lack originality in terms of lyrics with boring lines like “I’d fall to pieces over you”.

Unlike most albums, ‘Praying To Fiction’s most interesting track is its last ‘Beginning of the Middle’. It’s certainly one to get your lighter out and sway to. First track ‘New Day Rising’ is a good choice of opener and introduces Hollywood Ending perfectly, simple guitar riffs and united lyrics. The occasional bit of shouting on some tracks such as ‘Smiling Daisies, Crashing Skies’ upsets the recipe a little, it’s unnecessary and seems as if the band felt they should jump on the screamo bandwagon to fit in.

This album isn’t bad. It shows that Hollywood Ending have potential but they’re definitely lacking something, each of their songs sounds like a filler on a really good band’s album. I think we just have to look forward to their second release in the hope that they’ve made up what they’re missing but ‘Praying To Fiction’ is worth a spin.

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