Review Summary: Something new and something old.
Asking Alexandria once stated in an interview that they particularly liked EPs since it let them experiment, basically, do things that you wouldn’t normally fit on a full album. To be honest, it certainly sucks that their concept of experimentation are cover songs and fan-made remixes of their tracks, but it's good advice.
The Used followed this advice and tried to experiment with their sound in this EP. To be honest, it feels like a weird natural evolution. Their 2009 release, Artwork, pretty much fell flat (for me at least), with the Used clinging to their roots while incorporating a small amount of pop to attract a more mainstream audience. It was great and yet still a little bit stale. It was only natural that they would head in a different and “more modern” direction with 2012’s Vulnerable, incorporating electronica sounds. Mixed reception ensued.
So, with a sixth record already announced, who would’ve thought that the Used would have time for a 40 minute EP? Though I wouldn’t be surprised if Iddy Biddy made its way into their next album.
Don’t let the first tracks fool you, because this is definitely not your typical Used record. There’s still classical Used stuff here, and that is easily summed up in the EP first 2 songs. “Iddy Biddy” is one of the strongest songs the Used have ever released; I’ve never been good at explaining songs, but this one has that awesome “rock-out!” feel that Pretty Handsome Awkward oh-so amazingly had. The chorus is quite good and it's bound to become a live fan favorite.
“Quixotica” and “Thought Criminal” follow, both being nothing out of blue. The former is your standard Used track, with an infectious chorus and great instrumentation. If there’s one thing to be noticed here (specially on the intro) is how much the drumming has improved. It also features some (sloppy and muffled) spoken vocals, which generally fall flat until the end, when they merge with Bert’s vocals as he screams his lungs out, which is all kinds of awesome. The latter is your typical Used ballad, packing a melancholic start, an uplifting section during the middle and a so-so ending.
It’s not until the latter half of the title track, which is not-so interesting at that point, that the record suddenly takes a sharp turn. What was a characteristic release of this band becomes a wholesome mess of sounds and noises. While the eponymous track has a lot of Bert’s muffled speaking, which I'll admit is kind of entertaining, and makes up for a small interlude on the EP, “Tethys” completely abandons vocals.
Oh yeah, “Tethys”. If there’s one word to describe this song, is boring. It lasts 20 minutes (!) and has pretty much no instruments, just noises, lots and lots of noises and weird sounds. Despite constantly switching pace as much as a bipolar patient changes moods, it just never feels interesting. I was already bored by minute 3, and by minute 15 I was incredibly anxious for the song to the end. I’m sorry for the adjectives, but it’s not just a bad attempt at noise rock, it’s a monotonous track from start to finish. To be honest, I don’t feel like ever listening to it again.
In short, the Used tread their familiar songwriting style with some revitalized energy, and then throw everything out of the window for some “experimentation”. If this is what’s to come for their next record, I am certainly worried, although I can’t really blame them for trying to shake up their sound a little.
2.7/5
