Review Summary: Patience is a virtue.
Ever since their humble beginnings as a local pop-punk band, Colour and Codeine has always struck me with their surplus amount of passion for music. The band rarely spend time without each other, focusing on improving their sound through practice and precision. The band is tethered together into a unified bond, and it plays off into becoming the biggest strength of the entire EP. The band’s big escape from obscurity, in the form of this five song EP, floats above the water with both vigorous and great ideas; but is sometimes left struggling against the harsh seas of mediocrity.
At first glance, the band seems like your typical pop punk act. The music is littered with punchy guitar lines, slick drum rolls, and catchy choruses. But this play’s to the band’s advantage. Everything sails smoothly for the band, leaving them to stay in a zone of comfort without sounding boring or repetitive due to the band's instrumental talent. There is a glowing sense of confidence The band sounds especially confident during the introduction track We Are the Youth. A slow and echoed guitar radiates amidst a syncopated drum, until a humming guitar string reaches its peak; and then the instruments sing the song in unison. The instruments don’t stray too far off of the beaten path when it comes to complexity. Besides a few intricate guitar riffs pulled off at the beginning of most of the songs, the imagination of the band is left at a deadlock which leaves the listener hanging.
The vocals can be described as a sober version of The Wonder Year’s Soupy Campbell. They are clear and distinctive due to the EP’s great production, but slide off as simple and plain. There is not much experimentation when it comes to sounding different among the legions of pop-punk vocals. However, there are instances where the vocals are dual layered which amplify the vocal proportions to greater heights. The voices join together as one, highlighting the abrasive sound of the music. The lyrics are mostly hit or miss. But for a band just breaking out of their local habitat, the lyrics outweigh their competitors by actually standing for something more than just misery and heartbreak. They glow with teenage fluorescent, forcing out both relatable and personal lyrics that most fans of the genre will be able to cope with.
If I Die Tomorrow is a promising debut EP from a band with a lot of talent. The instruments go far beyond the tedious chugging of their competitors, expanding the experience with complex guitar riffs, audible and sweet bass lines, and tons of fast paced drum breaks. The vocals, while simple, are still rather enjoyable and sell the variety of hooks and choruses throughout the albums short runtime. The album is a hell of a lot of fun for a debut EP, and the future seems bright for this young band.
