The way this CD looks I figured it was gonna be old school hardcore or something but instead it's emo with a few pop punk sorts of influences and stuff like that. It's not original, but it's not bad. My chief complaint is that the songs are all too slow. "Best Mistake" is slightly faster and catchier with some cool arpeggios happening, but most of the other songs tend to run the same general pace, and they drag on a bit - coming off feeling longer than they actually are. I like that they often blend acoustic guitars with electric guitars, granted sometimes it sounds a little too radio rock for me (the intro to "Astray"), but I like most of the writing, it's the pace they need to rethink. And, of course, as I always say, they need to use more vocal harmonies, because the singing's good, it just needs more spice. Actually, some of the note choices for the vocals are a little off, so... they need polishing. As far as the production goes, it's alright, but there's a huge gap in the center of the mix, so everything sounds pretty separated. The tones aren't bad, but the bass needs to be louder, the guitars need more force, etc. As it stands the vocals sound a little dry and out front, and the guitars sort of feel off to the side and stuff. Everything just needs to be fuller and more powerful, it kind of falls flat and lacks energy. The layout keeps it simple with clean text, some tattoo styled artwork, and a few band photos. The lyrics are personal and somewhat typical as far as actual subject matter, but I like the fact that the lyrics are longer than usual and slightly more involved, so it's not always run of the mill metaphors or anything like that. This is a good effort. They need more work, perhaps this EP is a little premature, but it's a professional attempt, and they're on the right track for the most part.
[Miss Fortune]
Running time - 16:15, Tracks: 5
[Notable tracks: Best Mistake, Autumn Breaking]
Hall of Fame - http://www.halloffameband.com
