Maker chose to go along with the trend of composing commendable EPs which has been present in the scene as of late. They will be releasing a self-titled EP on November 13th on CD and vinyl. The brilliance of this record from the Springfield, Massachusetts quintet spawns from their balance of instruments and voice to create a beautiful overall harmony.
Shadows, a previously-released track, gets the metronome clicking on the EP. It is a bit low-key for an album opener, but it picks up quickly and gradually progresses with each section of the song. Every aspect of Shadows is simply beautiful; each musician has a spotlight to stand under, so no one member is left in the shadows. Vocalist Dave Carter starts the track off little soft-spoken then crescendos to dramatically screaming the phrase, “You got nothing!” by the end of the four-minute track. Following the introductory track is You Know Who You Are, a nice and easy tune to soak into your system. The lower key in the verses and the more upbeat chorus makes this track a perfect culmination of what the overall EP sounds like. Maker delves into a Circa Survive-inspired angle in the intro to I Had To Put My Lady Down. The instruments almost completely cease as Carter sings an almost acappella verse. The song then picks up in a way that is reflective of a melancholy day spent wrapped up in a blanket watching the rain fall. The fourth track off the EP essentially juxtaposes the preceding tracks. West Coast (Medina) is an upbeat and a bit of a bouncy follow-up to the more serious tracks. In addition, the lyrics are more smitten, affectionate, and “I-wanna-be-with-you-forever-and-always”-y than those of the previous songs. Guitarists Mickey Lebiedz and Eric Soucy have more wiggle room for creative and fun riffs on this one. The final track off the EP is Hurricanes. The sweeping sounds coming from the rhythm section parallel the sweeping winds of, well, a hurricane. The lyrics stand out more than anything else on not only the song itself, but the record as a whole. Carter will sing one line then contradict the thought with another line later on in the song, and he does this numerous times (“Live for yourself/Die for no one else... Die for yourself/Live for no one else”). It’s a fantastic closing track and gives the listener a positive vibe to dwell on.
The Maker EP is a great album for the incoming winter season and, essentially, just to listen to. It is another praiseworthy release from the Massachusetts band and will soon be added to fans' list of favorites from them.
Tracklist:
1. Shadows
2. You Know Who You Are
3. I Had To Put My Lady Down
4. West Coast (Medina)
5. Hurricanes
Rating:
Written by Melissa Jones
