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Loose Planes

Loose Planes EP

Written by: PP on 18/12/2014 18:58:35

After reading some hype about Loose Planes mostly stemming from the band containing members of Fireworks and Make Do And Mend among its roster, it's easy to be disappointed with the final product that is their self-titled EP. Consisting mostly of 90s style alternative rock with a hint of pop punk in the mix, the band draw instant comparisons to Hot Rod Circuit and, as the press release so finely suggests, to the alternative rock behemoths in Dinosaur Jr with their melodically ringing guitars. The problem is, the resulting expression isn't anywhere near as interesting as either of their influences nor their main bands.

Most of this stems from the lazily sung vocals that feel rather emotionless most of the time. In just four songs you have to make an impression of some kind, and here they fail to leave behind memorable melodies, catchy choruses, or anything else you usually expect to hear on these types of punk rock records that make them good. The material is too nondescript and anonymous to matter on the grand scheme of things in a crowded genre where awesome EPs and full-lengths are coming out on a weekly basis. "Licking Cement" is decent, as is closing track "The Things I Think", but never more than that, resulting in a forgettable group of songs that feel almost embarrassing considering the breadth of talent found within the roster. Ambition in terms of songwriting is far below what is necessary in this genre to succeed if you're going for a laid back approach, or alternatively, you need to up your passion and energy levels by quite a few notches. Right now, "Loose Planes" EP feels like something written as a hobby than a serious release, despite the instrumentation not being technically flawed.

Download: Licking Cement, The Things I Think
For the fans of: Hot Rod Circuit, Dinosaur Jr, Superchunk
Listen: Bandcamp

Release date 08.07.2014
6131 Records