Album Review: What Is Echo? - What Is Echo?

A few days before I went on a vacation I was surfing Youtube and at once I found this:

Yes, it was a new EP by a band no one has ever heard of and they decided to give that EP away for free!! Just like Your Countdown, ShowUCare, Armic and all the rest, but look how amazing that guy is looking at the camera and something inside you just screems: "This is gonna be amazing!! Download it!". And since the band has the right attitude to me.. I did that..

Now, the EP-cover may not look as how-the-hell-did-you-made-that like the Silence The Lights-Cover by Your Countdown but it has a nice touch of simplicity and it just gives you this feeling that what you're going to hear will be a mix of different feelings and different styles of music.. So let's give it a go.. "What Is Echo?" has 8 songs on it.

1. Hype

Hype starts with an awesome guitar (a little bit like.. No I can't actually compare that.. It's pretty unique). Right now I'm on the point where the singer has entered the song and I don't really have the same "wow" feeling no more.. I mean, I can hear they all have a sort of talent but they don't completely know how to fit it into a nice song (even though the instrumental piece in the middle once again is pretty good..).

2. Fivepoundfifty

Once again the opening melody is amazing and this time the singer enters the song in a structured way and that's pretty good since they took the time for the song to build before the guitars come in which is nice done (no comment). The lyrics to the song are also pretty good but by now I'm a bit annoyed by the singer's voice.. You know.. It's not bad at all but he has a kinda deep voice which sometimes sounds a bit frustrated when he has to reach a high note..

3. Don't Look Back

This is the first song that doesn't make my feet tap on the rythm.. I don't know but this one just doesn't feel right.. The guitars feel a bit "cheap", the drums aren't always on time (I mean, you can miss something but then just record again or don't hit the drum waaaaay too late) and the refrain has like.. hmm.. Nothing.. Once you get used to the guitar it's pretty ok until a "whoopwhoopwhoopwhoop"-sound comes in the background which pretty much fucks my "need" to tap my feet.. This one is a fail for me..

4. Put On Hold

You know these songs you put on your iPod without thinking "do I actually like this?".. Well, it sounds like that.. I have such an urge to skip this one because the vocals are bad, Erm, the guitar is pretty "the same" (except for the refrain), it sounds empty.. And the fact that the singer sings 20 times "This is the last time" at the end.. Nah, that doesn't work either..

5. Euphoria

Euphoria sounds like a ghost that is really reeeeeaaaally bored.. It doesn't sound really cheery or so but ok, I mean, maybe they wanted that? It's just, I mean.. They use this keyboard and the notes they play are pretty good and original but why did they took the most boring "tuuuut" in the world.. If they would've made that a bright tone it would've been ok and you would not be frustrated when you have listened to the song.. Frustrated isn't the right word.. Bored is better..

6. No More Heroes

Singing sucks but all the rest is pretty ok, nice guitar and a good drum (I think this band would be better with a new, less boring singer and some fresh ideas)..

7. One More Minute

Stupid.. Next

8. Lost In The Desert

Finaly! Another song that makes me feel a bit awake! good, simple guitar, mysterious atmosphere, great drums and (thank God!!!) great vocals! This song has something in it which can take you over for some degree (I mean, not like Coldplay or so, but it's enjoyable).

Too bad only the two first songs and the last left kind of a good impression.. You can clearly hear that this is a garageband (even though they recorded this in a studio [my kudos for that]) in an early stage but with there own style that some may like, some won't.. They also made a very good choice by giving this EP away for free because I wouldn't have written this review if I'd had to pay for this.. But anyway, The EP is muh-muh.. Not good, not really bad but you really have to like it I guess..

Album Review: What Is Echo? - What Is Echo: 1/5

You can download the EP here (Should start in a few seconds).. Also have a listen to their Myspace with a bit more (as far as I've listened - 45 seconds or so) power in it.

Next review coming in about an hour.

Mike