Rooftop Acoustic Songs is the companion EP to Firestarter’s debut release, New Beginnings, and it should be treated as such.
Three of the four songs on Firestarter’s latest have a full-band counterpart, previously released on New Beginnings, leaving only one brand-new song. With around a ten-minute runtime, there’s not a whole lot of content at all – let alone much new content. However, don’t let that dissuade you as much as warn you that this is all familiar stuff, for the most part. And if familiar stuff is what you’re expecting going into Rooftop Acoustic Songs, then you’re going to enjoy the hell out of it. The music here ranges from solid to awe-inspiring, meaning there is never really a point where things get stale or redundant.
As far as which songs to include from New Beginnings, Firestarter have definitely picked the three best songs to strip down for Rooftop Acoustic Songs, in "49 Stow", "Worth My Time", and "Myrtle Ave". For the most part they are carbon copies of the tracks you’ve already heard, set to an acoustic guitar, but there is something special to be found in "Myrtle Ave". Instead of going note-for-note and not really changing anything up, which there is nothing wrong with, the song adds some really simple, yet compelling, elements to transcend being just an acoustic cover, like the first two songs. Perfectly-placed gang vocals along with accompanying claps and stomps give the song the percussion its bouncy guitar lines so desperately beg for. And for those added changes, "Myrtle Ave" is the best track on Rooftop Acoustic Songs.
The EP’s final song, “This Is How”, is the only entirely new track on the release, and that really shows through it’s intricate songwriting – this song was made to be acoustic, and as such it sounds much more organic than the previous three. While "Myrtle Ave" is the best song on Rooftop Acoustic Songs, “This Is How” is a close second with its heartfelt, straight-forward lyrics and catchy guitar melodies.
I’m making the assumption here that the people most interested in Rooftop Acoustic Songs have already heard and enjoyed the New Beginnings EP. If you’re one of those people: pick up this EP; you won’t regret it. Although the runtime is quite brief, all of the songs on the EP are absolute gems, and do justice to the source material. For those of you who haven’t ever heard Firestarter before I suggest you check out New Beginnings first, to get a proper introduction to the band, before you venture into Rooftop Acoustic Songs.
Tracklist:
1. 49 Stow (Acoustic)
2. Worth My Time (Acoustic)
3. Myrtle Ave (Acoustic)
4. This Is How
RIYL: Look Alive, Coming Clean
Rating:
Written by Marc Saggese
