Travis Parno
10/10/08, 01:57 PM
This Providence – The Bright Lights EP
Record Label: Fueled By Ramen
Release Date: October 14, 2008
Who?
Some of Seattle, Washington’s finest emo rockers with an affinity for peppy, faith-based jams and clever pop songwriting.
How is it?
Great, unless you listen beyond the first track. Blending upbeat pop and large vocals supported by rock-solid instrumentation, “Waste Myself” is vintage This Providence. Unfortunately, the band inexplicably decided to remake “My Beautiful Rescue,” one of the stronger tracks from 2006’s self-titled release. The result is slower, gaudier, and downright boring. In its previous incarnation, the song mixed acoustic and electric movements into a joyful two and a half minutes. The extra minute added to the “renovated” version is only a result of a dragging tempo and a muddy wash of bland synth-strings. The appropriately named “Hopeless” is, well, you get the idea. Vocalist Daniel Young mucks through the melodies with uncharacteristic laziness and the chorus lyrics (“Does it make you cold to know I’d never die for you”) do little to inspire. The EP concludes with “Sand in Your Shoes (acoustic),” an innocent and relatively run-of-the-mill acoustic ballad that showcases the upper end of Young’s vocal range rather nicely without actually accomplishing much else.
The Bright Lights EP offers a teaser in preparation for the next full-length offering from This Providence. Ardent fans may be satisfied, but all others should grab the first track and play the hell out of it until the next album surfaces.
Valencia, October Fall, Daphne Loves Derby, Waking Ashland
Official Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/thisprovidence) | Official Webpage (http://www.thisprovidence.com/)
1. Waste Myself
2. My Beautiful Rescue (Renovated)
3. Hopeless
4. Sand in Your Shoes (acoustic)
Record Label: Fueled By Ramen
Release Date: October 14, 2008
Who?
Some of Seattle, Washington’s finest emo rockers with an affinity for peppy, faith-based jams and clever pop songwriting.
How is it?
Great, unless you listen beyond the first track. Blending upbeat pop and large vocals supported by rock-solid instrumentation, “Waste Myself” is vintage This Providence. Unfortunately, the band inexplicably decided to remake “My Beautiful Rescue,” one of the stronger tracks from 2006’s self-titled release. The result is slower, gaudier, and downright boring. In its previous incarnation, the song mixed acoustic and electric movements into a joyful two and a half minutes. The extra minute added to the “renovated” version is only a result of a dragging tempo and a muddy wash of bland synth-strings. The appropriately named “Hopeless” is, well, you get the idea. Vocalist Daniel Young mucks through the melodies with uncharacteristic laziness and the chorus lyrics (“Does it make you cold to know I’d never die for you”) do little to inspire. The EP concludes with “Sand in Your Shoes (acoustic),” an innocent and relatively run-of-the-mill acoustic ballad that showcases the upper end of Young’s vocal range rather nicely without actually accomplishing much else.
The Bright Lights EP offers a teaser in preparation for the next full-length offering from This Providence. Ardent fans may be satisfied, but all others should grab the first track and play the hell out of it until the next album surfaces.
Valencia, October Fall, Daphne Loves Derby, Waking Ashland
Official Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/thisprovidence) | Official Webpage (http://www.thisprovidence.com/)
1. Waste Myself
2. My Beautiful Rescue (Renovated)
3. Hopeless
4. Sand in Your Shoes (acoustic)