Written by Calysta Botello
The EP was more than what I imagined it to be. Clear story line from start to finish and it will leave you wanting more. Edgy, agony, poetic metaphors, you name it. I have only heard one song from this band when I was in a car with a friend. Since then, I have been looking forward to hearing more from the band and I was super stoked to hear their new EP to that I was given the opportunity to review.
The first song “Moving On” the vocals are solid, clear, and they just make you want to sing along. It is very catchy and upbeat but listening to the lyrics I can hear the heartbreak. The sound that the song portrays made me feel like a fool because I thought it was going to be a hype up song, but I fell for the illusion. It still gets me on my feet feeling empowered because the story it tells shows that no one is worth the pain they put you through. The song was well put together and the beat makes you want to get up and move.
The second song on the EP is “September” and it’s more of a reminiscing in the past type of song. This is the type of song that would make me look out of the car window, staring at the rain. The lyrics have a deeper meaning than just being lyrics for a song. My favorite part of this track was the bridge before the chorus halfway into the track. The mid-range made it feel intimate and personal. This is the realization that the past is the past but that’s okay. It shows power to the one who realized that they didn’t need the other because of how awful they were treated by them.
“Lobotomy” is the third track on the EP and this one really caught my attention. The track itself is a sad one, but it is deeper than anything I have heard in a long time. The lyrics are so heartbreaking because they include the lyrics “You think that there’s a problem with my brain”. This personally hit me like a truck because of people in my life who thought I was a ragdoll who needed to be fixed immediately. The song has a profound story tied to it and the vocals fluctuating from a nice mellow chest voice to an outburst of vocals in the chorus and that is what made me fall in love with this piece.
The song about a love is track number 4: “Heads Down”. This is a beautiful piece as well because of how descriptive the lyrics are about falling in love. It sounds like a hard fall for the boy, but the song is a close view of his heart, she is sure to fall in love with him to. Who doesn’t love a boy who will write a song about his love for a girl who has him head over heels for her?! This track is one of the most intimate songs about love that I have listened to in a while. I find it hard to feel an emotional attachment to a song because it doesn’t feel real enough, but this song it was easy to attach myself to because of how sincere it is. It is raw, the emotions feel super high, and the vocals are beautiful because it is easy to relate to the lyrics and the story being told.
The fifth track, “Emerald Cities”, is slower than the rest of the EP but the build up to the chorus is uplifting. It’s telling the story about a love that is powerful because no one can stop the two love birds from achieving great things together. The bass guitar solo is my favorite part of the song because of how calming and soothing it was for the ears. It blended with the beat so perfectly to transition from the buildup of the story to the climax. The vocals were different than the rest of the track because their sound is pop rock, but this track felt more personal. The vocals sounded warmer than the other tracks and that is what made me smile. Nothing means more to me than being able to feel a connection with the song because that is what makes me want to listen to it over and over again. It’s a connection that the band can have with their fans.
The last song on the EP is “Remember”. It is a goodbye to the one who let go of a cherished relationship. This is another track that is relatable because losing someone is a part of life. It sounds like a sad ballad, in truth it is, but it is also a goodbye. The story being portrayed is that the hurt that one goes through when someone lets go of everything the two built together. Granted it is hard, but the protagonist’s eyes open with truth and figure out that it’s okay to let go even if it is painful to say goodbye. The ending of the song is what made the track feel like a bitter-sweet moment. It ends with a peaceful instrumental as if the leaves were blowing in the wind and a leaf peacefully blows past you up into the air. It’s the feeling of letting go of something that was so close to the heart.
Altogether, the EP was beautifully written, the sound is powerful and full, and the meaning and feelings from the songs are full of life. The EP was more than what I had imagined it would be. Their sound is refreshing to hear because the songs don’t have an empty meaning.