Review Summary: Indie, Post-Hardcore and "The Wave" meet head on in this atmospheric teaser EP
Hailing from Yosemite Valley, From Indian Lakes released their debut album, The Man With Wooden Legs, just over two years ago. Combining the best of Post-hardcore, emo and Indie, it was a diamond in the rough, waiting to be unearthed. Almost three years later and they are gearing up to release album two. In preperation, the band has released a teaser in the form of a new EP, named Songs From Indian Lakes. It contains five tracks, the first two of which are songs taken from their upcoming album, Able Bodies, due for release in November. The remaining three tracks are remasters and remixes of three songs from their debut LP.
The two new songs are a good representation of a sizeable chunk of the band's style. Opener We Are Sick is the most mainstream part of their sound. It contains a great chorus that is infectiously catchy, and calms down to a beautifully ambient passage just after the half way mark. The other new track Breaking My Bones opens with a beautifully quiet first verse before exploding for the shouted chorus. The song does get slightly repetitive with its overly-frequent line of "Breaking my bones, breaking my bones, breaking my bones" but it's certainly not enough to destroy the enjoyment of a brilliant track.
The three tracks that make a re-appearance from their debut are of mostly similar quality, despite having undergone changes. We Never Dream starts as the most mellow song on the EP, containing some atmospheric guitar work, and showcasing the more delicate end of singer Joey Vanucchi's range, before it gathers momentum and volume in the last minute. I Have No Answers starts deceptively with gang vocals, only to be a rather more pop influenced affair, and the only song on the EP that fails to make it's mark. Final song We Are Invincible is one of the standout tracks of the bands catalog, sounding like a mix of La Dispute and PMtoday, it contains a good mix of rhythmic spoken word, singing and harsher vocals.
While EP serves as both an end to The Man With Wooden Legs, it is also an introduction to Able Bodies. If its job was to build up excitement for that forthcoming album, it has more than done its job. I cannot wait.
