I feel that Coletta took some pretty aggressive risks when making this EP. Its central musical themes are older than the members of the band, the singer took his range to the limit (it did not pay off every time), and they were not scared to ease up on the screaming even though it is a strong point of the band. Those risks were worth it, and the result is one groovy listening experience.

What stuck with me the most was how they were able to take a standard post-hardcore formula and elevate it in a way not seen in many other cases. I’ll admit, I was a little worried that the 80’s feel wouldn’t resonate with me, and man was I wrong. The greatness of the album is in the embellishments, not the core melodies (although they are good). Each song takes that big synth and sweeping reverb tones and moves between different sounds and energies without deviating from their main musical points, and it created a super tight album that felt like one long experience. Take a listen below to “Blossom” see exactly what I mean.

Coletta has a great combo of having the natural ability of knowing what sounds good, and not having a huge discography to bog them down in their own style. They have brought a level of creativity and energy that freshman or sophomore albums have, and a level of polish and experience that well-established bands earned from a long career.

I absolutely need to mention the screaming. It is the highlight of every song that features it, especially “Blossom”. These guys could do nothing but scream, and it would sound great! It would also sound like everyone else, and it is obvious that they went into the studio with the goal of doing the exact opposite of that. The screaming is limited and impactful, and because of that, it stuck with me even after 5 or 6 listens.

There was only one low for me, and that was the chorus on “Handbook for the Recently Deceased”. The singing felt foreign and forced compared to the performances in other tracks, and some of those high notes just did nothing for me. They did not follow their own formula and it was the only time on the EP that jarred me from the experience. Luckily it was cleared up and they were able to bring me right back in with something familiar to them, ending the album on a high note.

I can’t wait for more from these guys. If this short set is a sample of their musical chops, you should keep these guys on your radar. If I could see something more from them, I would love for their next album to have some covers to see how they can spice up a scene that is getting a little stale.