EP REVIEW: The Good Kind – Erase Theory
Perspective is everything. For Jeff Sahyoun, the mantra of his entire career has been: “This is not what happened to you. This is what is happening for you.” When his band LETLIVE. split up in 2017, he went on a journey of self-discovery. He quit social media, got a 9-5 job and went back to university to expand his knowledge. However, the call of music was never far away, and he created ERASE THEORY to answer that call. He released his self-titled debut EP back in February, and now his new EP The Good Kind provides a swift follow-up.
The wistful synths of Taking A Beat open up the EP before launching into an arena-rock worthy breakdown. This mix of synths and rock continues throughout the song, and whilst the distorted vocals might raise some eyebrows as they sound like the song is skipping about, the rest of it makes for an interesting opening. The blend of synth and rock sounds is fun, but for the most part they are kept separate, only merging during the last minute or so of the song.
Next track Man Overboard sounds a bit like a LINKIN PARK B-side, production-wise. The skittering electronic beat during the chorus can get a little grating towards the end, but the verses work well as the synths are kept to the background and allow Sahyoun‘s vocals to take centre stage. The rest of the EP runs more smoothly; So They Say expertly blends electronic and rock elements together and mostly keeps the distorted vocals to a minimum; The Subtitled is a grungy rock song that showcases an exciting side of ERASE THEORY that works really well; and the title track is a slower-paced rock song that really brings the EP alive. It is full of euphoria as it looks to the future, no matter how uncertain it is.
It seems that the more rock-orientated songs have more of an impact on the EP than the electronic songs. Whilst the synths do work on some tracks, on others they come across as overwhelming. The rockier stuff feels more authentic, whereas the songs with synths and electronics do sometimes feel a bit forced, and the EP is at its best when the two genres come together.
Overall though, The Good Kind is a mostly great EP. It experiments with new sounds, and the songs that mix synths and rock music work really well, as do the purely rock songs, even if the more electronic-focused tracks can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. Of course, this is also only ERASE THEORY‘s second EP, so there is still room to improve. The Good Kind does show that there is a definitive sound for ERASE THEORY, there just needs to be a little more work on the electronic elements. It might not be perfect, but this is certainly a step in the right direction for Sahyoun.
Rating: 7/10
The Good Kind is set for release on November 30th via Icons Creating Evil Art.
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