reviews
FILE UNDER: Metamorphosis rock
Echo Screen - Goodbye Old Life EPAlternative Press - Rachel Lux on 7/30/09 @ 7:00 AM - altpress.com
Saying goodbye is never easy, especially if you're a band trying to shed the shadows of your youth. Interestingly, Goodbye Old Life, Echo Screen's first release since their more pop-punk 2006 debut LP Euphoria, could more aptly be called Good Riddance Old Life as it all but completely eschews their prior poppy style. Each of the five Ace Enders-produced songs buzzes with its own energy and groove; opener "I Amsterdam" sets up a line of catchy clean guitar chords to sweep in a full-blown sing-along shuffle and refrain, with a buoyant piano lead the second time through. Moving from the "oh-oh-whoa" chorus of the more-than-a-little-ironic "The Ballad Of Jack Shephard (Battle Chorus)" to "When I Escape (L.A.)," easily the high point of the EP, the band's hard-earned maturity begins to become wildly obvious (the guys went on hiatus in 2007 after their previous label folded and frontman Shaune Scutellaro moved to Los Angeles).
Now, we could take or leave the EP's closer, "The Sun," which feels over-indulgent and too literal by comparison. C'mon, dudes, writing songs filled with blue notes that detail the travails of bad shows, making no money at the door but then finding strength to press on because you saw one happy fan--all while likening yourselves to a shining ball of gas in the sky during the chorus--is a bit much. For our money, we'll just stick to the first four tracks and skip "The Sun"--or better yet, we'll delete it from our iPod. This EP is about saying goodbye, right? (ES MUSIC) Casey Lynch
GO DOWNLOAD: "When I Escape (L.A.)"
Official Website: http://www.myspace.com/echoscreen
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