Review Summary: Greeley Estates improves upon their first album with a tighter, more fun EP
After the release of Greeley Estates first album, the band got signed to their first actual record label and with that a new EP showcasing off the tried and true, cut and dry post hardcore sound found on their first album. Now that's not to say the band's sound didn't improve because it did. The production is a bit cleaner, lead singer Ryan's cleans got a bit crisper and the screams got slightly more intelligible, and the guitar work and drumming is a bit more dynamic.
At six songs long, the EP is only about half an hour long and starts with the clean strumming and whispered words of "I'm not surprised...because I always knew...there's just something about you...that wasn't right" before kicking off with some power chords and drum fills. It's a showcase of the band's growing talent and also amplifies Ryan's ability to blend his vocal melodies with the music, something that he'd only improve on in later releases.
The following four songs honestly fail to grab in the way the opening track does. Following is the band's version of a ballad, two formulaic albeit serviceable and catchy slices of early 00's post hardcore, a love song with repetitive lyrics, and finally the crown jewel of this record. 'Y'all with the Vampire Squad' is a bombastic and fun song following in the same vein the opening track trailed for it. The harsh vocals scream along with the frantic guitars pluck away beside them leading to a sarcastic sounding Ryan asking "so, is this what you call sexy?" before the cavalcade of drums, guitars, bass, and screams go out in style before a distorted siren ends the EP.
Greeley Estates didn't create a masterpiece but
Caveat Emptor is still a nice cut of some early post hardcore and a precursor to what the band would become capable of later when they change to a more melodic metalcore sound with
Go West Young Man, Let the Evil Go East.
