A band's sophomore release is vital for a number of reasons. There are fans to please and new fans to gain, and more material means longer sets and more stages on more tours. But most of all, the follow-up effort will determine whether a band is worth supporting or if their few good songs will end up buried somewhere in kids' iPods. California's A Week Away's debut EP Who Should I Be didn't exactly knock me off my feet, but Adversities, the band's upcoming release, more than makes up for it.
Understand and Fear The Living begin the EP and do well to encompass everything the record entails. Musically it is clean and more aggressive than their earlier stuff and the vocals sound smooth and effortless. The first two songs let you know right away that the percussion on this record far exceeds anything on WSIB. The man behind the kit (Ryan Chin) puts together seamless fills and will change tempo on you in a heartbeat. Fear The Living exhibits this perfectly and will probably be the first track I show my friends, whatever that is worth. One thing about Adversities is how quick it is. The pace is unyielding but it never becomes overwhelming due to catchy vocals and chants.
Ropes stands out for that very reason; it flies by before easing into a little breakdown through crashing melodies. Locust is the lone respite on the EP with its introspective slow jam as seen in third-person, I believe. The lonely guitar licks at the beginning set the mood and the softer, subdued vocals further establish that. Aside from an intense, almost out of place bridge, this song is a slow jam that will induce singalongs everywhere. It's the final two songs, however, that put this record over the top. Grow And Forget and Senses Fail are flagship tracks simply because of the intensity and intricacy they share, the former's bridge being a personal highlight. Grow And Forget is a good pop-punk song until it hits the 1:30 mark, where it then becomes a great one. The drummer gets all kind of busy and the melody itself is awesome; leading up to sweet guitar work and a short breakdown as the sendoff. Senses Fail follows the same formula and features everything from speedy guitar riffs to soaring vocal chants that trail off into the speakers. Just a fantastic way to end the EP.
A Week Away went above and beyond the expectations I had for this EP by not only upping the intensity but also polishing the vocals, and both qualities will separate Adversities from most pop-punk records in your music library. If there is a pop-punk bone anywhere in your body you'll find something about this EP to love.
Tracklist:
1. Understand
2. Fear The Living
3. Syncopate
4. Ropes
5. Locust
6. Grow And Forget
7. Senses Fail
Rating:
Written by Felipe Garcia
