Review Summary: A good release with short but sweet songs that are energetic and upbeat.
1 of 1 thought this review was well writtenWhen I heard, almost a year ago, about Poison The Well's plan to release 3 seperate vinyls with extra songs not recorded on their latest LP, 'Versions', and put them all out on limited edition (2000 copies) Cd globally on Record Store Day, I thought to myself, "they were probably not put on Versions for a reason". Well I was right, although for a completely different reason. I had thought that they werent on Versions because frankly, I had the idea that the songs would be lacking in quality, that the band had thrown together extra songs 'just in case' and was trying to cash in on them. Turns out they weren't on Versions because they have a completely different feel than it did.
Now in my opinion (and I'm not here to review Versions) their last one was a darker, dirtier feeling CD. These songs have an almost upbeat feel to them. The way they were released was really well thought out, because each of these songs sounds like the band has really progressed, although they were recorded at the same time. Each set of two songs (1+2, 3+4, 5+6) all came out on different seven inches (all with cover art that makes the band logo when combined) and the order the songs are placed in is really key to the release. What I mean by that is that the second 2 songs (3, 4) build on the first two, and so on, so that by the final 2 songs, you really feel like the band has just written and recorded them in that order.
New Fast is a track that holds as much energy as anything from 'The Opposite Of December' with new the age Poison the Well writing style. It fast, upbeat, and addictive. This song is great opening and gives you the feel of the entire album.
Some songs are slower, with almost clean parts, (see parts of 'Purple Sabbath' and 'Bowie'), but most follo this pattern of fast an upbeat, happy feeling songs from a band that last released a dark one (again, in my opinion). Jeffrey does a lot of singing on this one, with many harmonious parts (most of 'A# No.1'), which creat catchy choruses that you'll be humming for days afterwards.
Most of the songs are quite short, which is annoying, just when you really get into them they're over (Gone Clean is 1:02) and because of this, you sometimes dont feel as if the song isn't done, as if the thought hasn't finished. Some songs lack in interesting parts or hooks (i.e. 'Bowie', 'Gone Clean') but the other 4 are so catchy it will make up for it.
Overall, a good mid-LP release that got me more stoked about the upcoming 'Tropic Rot' Poison the Well plans to release. Easy quick-pick up-and-listen songs that don't require much thought, but will have you hooked. Basically, if you liked Versions you'll like there, they aren't reinventing their sound, just cruising on it, which at this point, is just fine with me.
