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Walk The Moon

Tightrope EP

Written by: HES on 14/02/2013 00:00:46

I first encountered Walk the Moon as the warm up band for Fun. at their latest concert in Vega, Copenhagen. Founded in 2008 the band is still quite young but not without personality. Signing a record deal with RCA Records in 2012 they also released their first “real” album based on prior self-releases. The freshly released EP “Tightrope” seems to be a test of the new direction the band wants to go in.

Walk the Moon was mainly discovered floating on top of the massive wave of upbeat indie rock. Common for bands at this part of the genre is a musical universe based on a positive, dynamic and slightly awkward feel – mixing guitars, synths and whatever else was available in the music class drawers. Walk the Moon also makes good use of their well-written choruses that seems loaded with some infectious sing-along bug. As I put their new EP on at my workplace I notice people humming along already after one spin.

On “Tightrope EP” Walk the Moon is reaching a popish crescendo for the band. The main track “Tightrope” is an exercise in the art of anthemic choir-song. These kinds of songs are so on trend, it’s almost impossible to turn on the radio without stumbling upon the likes of it – but Walk the Moon achieves a playful feel that your average air-time hit doesn’t.

“Anywayican” (a b-side track from the self-titled album) is the most danceable song on the EP. The powerful rhythm and falsetto-ish voice of Nicholas Petricca almost resembles Danish smash-hit artist Winnie Who, who’s recently conquered the heart of every Copenhagen hipster-palace. ”Tete-A-Tete” is unfortunately an example of how over-producing can really ruin an otherwise well-written song. The echo-effect on Pettricca’s voice is saddening and you wish the boys would leave the music a bit more “raw” and unpolished. The EP also contains a marvellous little gem of a cover of “Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads and an acoustic version of the main track and single “Tightrope”.

All in all the EP contains a lot of promise for the bands future endeavours. It’s always a good sign, when the EP in some sense seems “too short”. Walk the Moon is shaping up to become a contender to break with the very generic state of indie rock with a more radio-pleasing appeal.

Download: Tightrope, Anywayican, Drunk in the Woods
For The Fans Of: Temper Trap, Dog is Dead, Neon Trees
Listen: facebook.com/walkthemoon

Release Date 22.01.2013
RCA Records