Led by Glaswegian Patrick Byrne, the group Byrne are a London-based fourpiece. Their debut mini-album begins and ends with emotionally-damaged ballads of the kind that are all too frequent churned out these days. Thankfully there's far more in the locker than Coldplay-lite. 'Sleeping Giant' proves a prophetic title; it's a sweeping, insistent rock number that serves as a great wake-up call. Of further interest is 'Greener' which suggests 4AD label stalwarts His Name Is Alive with its edgy female backing vocals and pacy, menacing guitar work. Though the Beatle-esque melody of 'Tidal Wave' is disappointingly light the dreamy, psychedelic production that graces 'Embers' brings about a satisfying return. Hopefully, Byrne will prevail with these subversive streaks on future releases.