EP REVIEW: The Lunar Year – The Lunar Year
Most people probably didn’t expect a crossover between UK pop band THE VAMPS and DJ trio CHEAT CODES. Furthermore, people probably wouldn’t have expected those two bands to create a pop-punk EP. However, that is exactly what Connor Ball – bassist for the former – and Sasa Macek – drummer for the latter – have done. With over a thousand miles between Ball in the UK and Macek in Croatia, the duo created THE LUNAR YEAR based on their love of music, and their knowledge of the music industry and touring.
Their self-titled EP contains six songs and offers a relatively unique take on pop-punk. This can be seen on the first song of the EP, Back For More, which has elements of pop-punk and electronic music. Thanks to the superb Matt Malpass, who produced the EP, THE LUNAR YEAR introduce themselves as an exciting new band in the ever-evolving rock scene.
When The Sun Fades continues the uniqueness, with an added pop-punk element. It does sound more like a song from THE VAMPS, but this is not a bad thing because that band always had a slight rock edge to them – it’s just turned up more in THE LUNAR YEAR.
The pacing of the EP doesn’t slow down for a second. You Don’t Miss Me is an energetic song about a love that doesn’t last. The lyrical content of the EP might not be very original as relationships are discussed. However, this changes in the fourth song, entitled Nothing. It is slower than the other songs so far. Some of the lyrics are clichéd, but it does have some moments of originality. This is further expanded upon in Medicine – a more upbeat song whose chorus declares: “Sometimes I need my medicine / To help me fix my brain / It’s a mess again.” Whilst this lyric seems unoriginal in terms of pop-punk music, it is interesting to note how two stars in the pop world are opening up about mental health in the pop-punk world.
The mental health angle is carried into the final song entitled Boys Will Cry. It is a song that calls out toxic masculinity for making men cover up their emotions and makes for the highlight of the record. Furthermore, it has the best production of the overall EP, with swelling bass and some fantastic beat drops. The lyrical content might seem surface-level to some, but the empowerment will win others over.
In conclusion, The Lunar Year is a quality debut EP. The production makes it a coherent, well-written and constructed body of work. This EP shows that music truly unites us, and whilst the lyrics might be surface-level in places, The Lunar Year proves that the band have time to work on this. Apart from that slight nitpick, the EP showcases an exciting new direction for both pop-punk and Ball and Macek. The duo work perfectly together, and their individual styles blend in a manner that should please anyone who wants their music with a bit of edge.
Rating: 8/10
The Lunar Year is set for release on May 20th via M3 Recordings.
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