Stunning post-hardcore." Vik Bansal of MusicOMH was also very positive in his review. With regards to Simpson abandoning his former pop career, he stated, "They Liked You Better When You Were Dead is such a good debut EP that the fact Monsieur Simpson used to be part of a heinous crime against humanity's ears is an irrelevant piece of history that will soon be consigned to pub quizzes and trivia board games". He picked out "Mono" as a stand-out track; "'Mono' is the centrepiece of the EP - a brooding slowie that builds into a swathing crescendo of weighty power chords and will have you reaching for the repeat button as soon as it's over". Rock Sound were also full of praise in their review, scoring the album at 9/10; "Fightstar clearly demonstrate that they can hold their own in a world of heavy, emotional rock. Anyone who likes Muse, Biffy Clyro, Radiohead and even Scissorfight will find something to be absorbed in here. Brilliantly executed". Adam Knott of Sputnikmusic said during his review that the album was, "one of the most surprising first impressions I've ever heard". Awarding an "excellent" four out of five rating, he added; "The combination of grit and beauty is most prominent on 'Until Then', which morphs from an all-out rocker to a softly crooned middle section and back again, and it's this duality which lends itself to multiple listens. To say that Fightstar's debut EP showed promise or potential would be a disservice - They Liked You Better When You Were Dead is in and of itself a release well worthy of a place on any discerning music-lover's bedroom shelf". Track listing Personnel The following personnel contributed to They Liked You Better When You Were Dead: Fightstar Charlie Simpson — vocals, rhythm guitar, lyrics Alex Westaway — vocals, guitar, artwork, lyrics Dan Haigh — bass guitar, design Omar Abidi — drums, percussion Production Mark Williams — producer, mixing Eric Broyhill — mastering Alan Butterworth — photography Amy Cooper – photography Charlie Hodgson – photography Craig Jennings — A&R Release history References External links The Official Website of Fightstar 2005 debut EPs Fightstar albums Island Records EPs Deep Elm Records EPs