Review Summary: drag the love out of me
Balancing raw emotion and musical capability is something that many Emo inspired bands struggle at, with many modern acts’ songwriting being uninspired at best. On “Luck”, Ceres manage to brilliantly balance their raw, emotional edge with solid production and some truly incredible hooks.
Most of “Luck” follows a simple formula: vocalist Tom Lanyon’s brittle, bright Australian-accented voice shouts infectious melodies, above simple yet fantastic instrumentals. Every track on this tight five-track EP is rich with the top-notch hooks one might expect from Emo’s powerhouses. On “Damn Lies”, Killers-esque sunny guitar leads pair impeccably with Lanyon’s half-screamed anthemic vocals. Standout track “Notes” has become one of my favourite emo/pop-punk tracks ever. Its guitars are chunky and sweet, its chorus phenomenally catchy and powerful. “Burnley” follows in similar fashion, featuring somewhat unconventional structure and Lanyon’s contagious shouts of “I am waiting for you”. Even the acoustic album-titled interlude track is great, with its simple yet sweet washes of harmonica and slide guitar.
All told, “Luck” might be one of the genre’s finest and most underappreciated EPs. If you’re looking for a satisfying shot of emo-pop the likes of which you’ve likely not heard, will find something to love here.
