Review Summary: The first EP of the band's 2-part EP, proves the band is content with putting out what the fans want, rather than what the band wants to make.
Last year,
Greeley Estates released an aptly titled “
The Death Of Greeley Estates”. The band explained they always go into a studio with the thought that their next record could be their last. Their new EP,
The Narrow Road, makes that statement almost spot on. After filling in a support role for tour mates
Oh, Sleeper, the band dropped off their label and decided to make a two-part EP with nothing more than their own desire to make music for their loving fans and how the fans love them indeed. Greeley Estates has barely made any sort of waves aside from their critically acclaimed “
Go West Young Man” album, but the fans that have remained support Greeley Estates with all their heart. The band really does listen to their fans and put out what they want to hear and it definitely shows on this record.
One of the bigger problems that plagued the bands previous release is that the production felt hollow. You would be happy to know that isn’t the case on this record but the album isn’t too interesting enough to matter. It’s an angry record but can’t touch the creative, fun, and catchy writing on
No Rain, No Rainbow.
No Rain, No Rainbow was angry but it had a reason behind it. The band’s fifteen minutes of fame was ending, band members were leaving, and the band’s label had been bought out and rather than being absorbed into the label, the group was left on their own. This record feels angry just to be angry. The song “Die” has very broad lyrics saying SOMEONE makes him sick and why that SOMEONE won’t just die. It’s not just this song though, every song has broad lyrics that feel like they were written just so their angst filled fans can relate. That’s probably the biggest fault with this album. It doesn’t feel like the band’s album, it feels like the fans' album.
Musically, it could be much worse I suppose. The album is basically one big chug with a few boring riffs thrown in between. Drumming is sub-par most of the time, but when the drummer isn’t repeatedly hitting the same notes, he proves he certainly has at least some talent. The singer has a very shrill scream that fits the album but when he decides to sing clean, he sounds tired and lazy. The album also has a few ambient sound effects thrown in some songs but don’t last long enough to make any songs stand out which brings up another problem. The songs themselves don’t feel long at all. Almost all the songs seem to be building up to some crescendo but then abruptly end.
The album isn’t necessarily bad though. It just feels safe.
Greeley Estates has put out much better stuff and the band was head and shoulders above most other post-hardcore/metalcore bands in the scene, but they just feel contempt with keeping their fans happy and not evolving their sound for the time being.
