Broken Stems – We Are Home
The Broken Stems – We Are Home – EP Review
Wow. First thought that came to my mind was ‘what IF Band of Horses and Cold War Kids had children together…would it come out like this?’ Yeah, okay…that’s weird even for me, and as the EP from The Broken Stems plays on, it’s not nearly musically accurate enough. The comparisons will come soon enough I’m sure – right now I’m enjoying my inability to pin down their sound and digging their beautiful melodies, harmonies and creativity in their song writing…press play and enjoy the We Are Home EP by The Broken Stems with me, I wanna dissect this one!
I mean, this is a truly fantastic EP, no bullshit. You want a tightly played, diverse and well-crafted display of a great band’s skill-set, look no further. Each song plays within a pop-rock perfection, well produced with excellent vocals throughout; powerful with thought-provoking lyrics. Check out the middle of the EP and listen to “Maybe” and you’ll dig on what I’m saying. This is an excellent, dramatic and theatrical piece of music and the fact that lead singer Jesse Gawlik drifts in and out of a Maroon 5’s Adam Levine through his vocal delivery and tone doesn’t hurt.
What amazes me is just how MUCH of something there is for everybody in this one EP. You are a hate-filled, degenerate, no-taste music-mongrel if this makes you want to turn the volume down, off, or anything other than UP. And you’re better than that. So DIG The Broken Stems, says I!
How about the 4th track on the EP – what an amazing track. So bluesy and ridiculously well-played on guitar, but with so many other parts…each and every time I draw comparison, it becomes useless. The Broken Stems have a incredible ability to adapt and conquer not only a variety of styles and sounds within the five songs on We Are Home, but actually within the songs themselves. “Castles” is another perfect example of this as it ranges through beautiful pop melody into malicious rock and stomping drum beats. Guitar tones that are immaculate and really stand out well in the recording.
Easily one of the most repeatable EP’s I’ve heard in years, the moment this was done I pushed play again and so should you. It makes much more sense on those repeat listens. “The Only Way” starts so epically with simple guitar, beautiful harmonies and emphatic drums. This song at the beginning sets the standard for the songwriting and it absolutely does not drop in quality from there no matter how much the musical landscape of The Broken Stems may change throughout.
And it WILL change – LOTS. That immediate straight jolt into the pop-choir-reggae combo of “Around The Bend” is just another example of this band’s ability to adapt to any style with success and produce something brilliant. This warm and atmospheric track is one to certainly leave you wondering why you HAVEN’T heard The Broken Stems yet.
But in truth, they all really are songs of the highest quality and caliber. I love this EP by The Broken Stems, I think it’s incredibly inventive and innovative in each and every track. Couple that with their perfect production and flawless execution – this is a band I’ll be keeping a firm ear on from now on.
Go get some! You can find The Broken Stems at Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/thebrokenstems
And at Soundcloud at: https://soundcloud.com/thebrokenstems/sets/we-are-home-ep
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