Clean, Explosive Alt-Rock-Pop From Cleveland
Nov 16 '03
Pros
Some good songs...
Cons
Some not so good songs...
The Bottom Line
A good start to a band with a lot of potential. A little further refinement will go a long way.
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The cover of This Is Exploding’s self-titled debut EP looks like a cast off from an episode of Dawson’s Creek. This visual clue was enough to turn me off…initially and without actually partaking in the Ohio band’s music. When I finally got off my duff and popped the disc into my stereo, I found myself pleasantly shocked and happy to have gotten over the Dawson-shock.
This Is Exploding is a four-man outfit hailing from Cleveland. The band records, produces, and subsequently releases their music independent of label control. Formed in 2002, the band has managed to find a great deal of support in touring and has also been featured on two independent film soundtracks. Quite an accomplishment for a relatively “young” band. Most of the support for This Is Exploding comes via touring bars across the Midwest. Therefore, it is only appropriate that their first official release is entirely live.
The alt-pop loveliness of This Is Exploding comes to pass at the hands of Joshua Jesty (guitar, vocals), Nick Tolar (guitar, vocals), Brian Hill (bass guitar, vocals), and Dan Price (drums, vocals). And while the band isn’t the most original thing I’ve heard, their music is nonetheless entertaining and their songs are worth hearing. It seems that this Ohio band has something to say and they are just waiting for the right arena and opportunity to say it. Fortunately, their first at-bat is sufficiently good to allot the band more chances…
This Is Exploding’s debut EP is a rarity for me. It was apparently recorded live, but I still appreciate the songs regardless of their original setting. Then again, I’ve got a notable soft spot for alt-laced-pop and This Is Exploding fits the bill. Even better is the fact that the band also weaves in rock to the mix. So with guitars, great melodies, and not at all abrasive vocals the EP proves entertaining. Is it enlightening fare? Nope, but who needs enlightening when the five songs here are easy on the ears. There are a few highpoints here, but the bulk of the EP is merely decent. Fortunately, those highpoints outweigh the times when the album gets bogged down by the typical lyrical strain and strife of young America.
The best offerings are featured at the beginning. Both Girl Named Hell and Better are outstanding songs. Uneducated is probably the weakest song, if nothing else because Jesty tries so very hard to stretch his voice. Maybe with some more practice and studio time the song would be rounder, but for now it just is lackluster. Neither Do I and Plan are both fine enough offerings but seem somewhat hollow in comparison to the excellent first two tracks.
Girl Named Hell is a great start to this disc. The guitars are nice and crunchy and the drums are unobtrustive…something very important when it comes to Jesty’s voice. He sounds boyish and fey, but there’s a certain grit just beneath the surface that works well with the melody.
But I think the best song here is probably Better. I also believe that This Is Exploding believes the track to be their best of the album since the EP also includes a spiffy claymation video to Better. In any case, the band seems at home in the mid-tempo groove of the song. Jesty’s voice is particularly comfortable. He doesn’t try too hard…the words just drip off his tongue. It is with Better that listeners will realize that This Is Exploding has the capability to do something great in the future.
But will it happen? I hope so…
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Girl Named Hell
02. Better
03. Uneducated
04. Neither Do I
05. Plan
Recommended:
Yes
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