I think this quick EP is only available online or directly from the band at shows, but I don't know why, because this is a brand of alternative rock/post-hardcore that could probably make the band pretty successful somewhere along the line. Admittedly there are aspects of this release that would probably rub some listeners the wrong way since there are similarities to some of what you might hear on the radio, both with the often harmonized singing style and in some of the music, but... fuck it, good songs are good songs, and I'm really into most of this stuff. Of course the opening track is a total keeper through and through, with problems starting to seep in afterwards, but they still basically pull it off (granted this is just a 14-minute EP). Some of the weird little grungy rock runs in "The Mess" don't really do much for me, and admittedly it takes a little while to adjust to some of the vocal work, while the reverberated clean riffs in "Hand or Rifle" are way too typical of lame ass radio rock bands for me to stomach, for example. "Are We In?" is listed as a demo track but it sounds right in line with the others, so I'm not sure what that indicator's supposed to mean. It's actually the second best track as well, bookending the EP with the awesome "Vegas" as the two most memorable and promising cuts by far. The recording is super clean and polished, so I don't really have anything to talk about there. It sounds pretty much like a major label release in terms of the sound, as everything's loud, thick, and clear. Maybe they could find a way to give the guitars a little more of an airiness or gloss over some of the rougher spots of the vocal performance, but aside from minor inconsistencies (three different recording sessions are actually represented across the four tracks) and a little room for added buffing they've got a good sound. The layout's printed with a matte finish and I think the promos must be fuckups or something, because the way the art looks on the label's site is way different from the almost entirely black appearance of what I hold before me. The lyrics? Ehhh, pretty nondescript stuff that doesn't do much for me, but when it comes to catchy songs I'm rarely all that interested in lyrical content as you can't expect but so much. This band could go in one of two directions, and my hope is that they'll further explore the catchy emo meets post-hardcore side of their sound rather than the emo meets shitty radio rock junk. If they want to be the next Hoobastank and make loads of money, then furthering the latter angle will probably seal their fate (depending on how you look at it), but if they want to be an amazing post-hardcore band I'd suggest honing in on what they've done in "Vegas", because that song's an absolute gem and I'd be totally losing my shit if this entire EP was that good. We'll see, eh?
[Equal Vision]
Running time - 14:20, Tracks: 4
[Notable tracks: Vegas, Are We In?]
Equal Vision Records - http://www.equalvision.com
