Review – Early Morning Blues “Newest Versions”

I’ve written how many posts about going to see Early Morning Blues play, and I’ve babbled about how amazing they are, but I haven’t every actually explained just what it is about the EP that they released that is so awesome.

I should point out that I am a little biased here. This is my favorite band (edging out over The Goo Goo Dolls as they’ve grown up before I have and though I still love them I can’t bring myself to call a band that’s firmly in the Adult Contemporary genre my favorite band). I’ve seen them play live twice, watched a million videos and have a ridiculous playcount of their music on my iPod.

I was interested, possibly in love with this EP, when all there was were was a melody of snippets posted on Bryan’s (the lead singer) MySpace page. I actually signed onto myspace for the first time in months to listen to it (and got six new porn related friend requests as a result).

Bias aside? This is one of the most solid collections of music I’ve heard in a while. Each track has its own sound, its own backbone and while they are similar, they are still completely different.

It is said a lot but every song is original and by original I mean original. I’ve not heard anything like it before. This is hard when trying to explain what kind of music it is, but at the same time it’s refreshing. And it’s not just the first listen that gets you. The first listen comes with strong drum lines, a powerful bass line that only comes when the bassist is as talented and as deeply invested in the music as Bryan is.

The lyrics are raw, but isn't that what good music is supposed to be? Raw and to the point? At the same time, it's not overtly direct. It's subtle in ways that catch you off guard until you're half listening, working on something else and suddenly the words are there, and you have to stop whatever you're doing to really take it in. That's good songwriting.

"War and Wisdom" seems to scream of betrayal, but at the same time of expecting people to live their life the way they should rather than the way they're told. It's a person's decision and the answer's obvious isn't it? "Never Leave" is a complex twist of a relationship, the kinda that doesn't seem to have a way out, yet at the same time isn't one you want out of. I've listened to that song more times than I'd like to admit and every time I think of it differently. "Echoes" is haunting and I think the under-rated track on the EP. I always forget it's there but once I start it I can't help but get into it. It runs along the same lines as "Chapter One," coming across as the result of being beaten down too many times to count, but having the strength to find a way out. It makes one wonder what sparked the lyrics, but at the same time, it's a concept most can relate to. "Chapter One" of course has the lines of begging to go back, but nothing quite beats my favorite line (which I think is possibly my favorite set of lyrics):

can I bring my black and blue bruised broken body back to you? to mend for me, because I have seen the ugly truths of the world.

Breathtaking right? (You'd be right if you're thinking it might have made the short list for tattoo ideas)

The whole EP doesn't disappoint, not once. The music is strong, the words are stronger to point where even me, a die hard Boys Like Girls fan, has to sit back and wonder how we missed out on the gem that has been hidden within that band.

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