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So Many Ways

So Many Ways EP

Written by: PP on 18/01/2012 05:54:32

It takes a lot these days to sound fresh in pop punk and pop-hardcore, but So Many Ways have done just that on their self-titled EP, a continuation of a string of EPs that has seen the Chicago based band become one of the most exciting new entrants to the scene. Granted, they employ precisely the same dynamic that made Set Your Goals so popular on their explosive debut album "Mutiny!", but change their expression just enough to forge a niche for themselves.

But maybe sounding like early Set Your Goals is exactly why "So Many Ways" EP comes across as such a fun listen. They use a hook-laden dual vocal approach that relies heavily on a call/response vocal dynamic that first and foremost recalls the one used by Jordan & Matt, but also the infectiously catchy style of emo rockers Taking Back Sunday on their debut album that more or less invented this style. They deliver the vocal battle with all the energy and conviction that was missing from the latest Set Your Goals release, and once again prove why the formula works so well.

However, there are some significant differences as well. For starters, So Many Ways are a much heavier band rooted much more in the hardcore side of pop-hardcore. Though they aren't exactly screaming, the roughened shouts of their heavy vocalist come pretty close, while also sounding a great deal like the guys from Gainesville bands playing the sort of melodic shouted-out punk that's ever-popular in those circles. Breakdowns, technical riffs and that stuff (think With The Punches) are also used for good measure alongside inspiration from melodic hardcore (think Shook Ones, Lifetime etc), and in the end you have a package that's fresh, bouncy, and so full of energy that it's difficult to deny it access to the memory receptors in your brain. Watch out for these guys in 2012.

Download: I've Made A Huge Mistake, Murf's Life Hints, 37 Chambers
For the fans of: Set Your Goals, Taking Back Sunday, With The Punches, Latin For Truth
Listen: Facebook

Release date 13.09.2011
Mightier Than Sword Records