The Unlikely Hero
EP: The Road That We Travel
Visit their website
Review by Lauren
Source: copy sent for review, but all opinions are my own
Review: I want to thank the band for allowing me to review their debut EP, The Road That We Travel, and I also want to apologize for how long it has taken me to get this posted. First off, for those that aren’t aware, an EP is like a shorter LP (or c.d.), so this album only has five songs. Since it’s shorter than most albums, I figured I’d go through each specific song:
The Kid Who Never Did Anything Right: This is a great start to the album as it starts off quick and keeps the energy going. There is a moment near the end of the song where it’s talking instead of singing. Normally I’m not a big fan of moments like this. It works well during a live show, I suppose, but it tends to throw me off when just listening. However, I think it worked well in this song – it felt more like “rapping” or fast poetry than just someone talking at you.
Keep to the Code: I can really see this one being enjoyed live, with a good clap-along moment and everything. It’s upbeat, fast-paced and a good second song on the EP. I think it’s important for pop-punk bands to have mostly faster songs, and then if there are slower numbers, to mix them in well.
I Guess This Makes Me Captain: This is a bit slower, but still not what you’d call a ballad by any means. Based on my last comment for the song above, I think they placed this song well on the album. It’s still fast and mostly upbeat, but it has a bit of a slower melody overall until the end, which does pick up pace.
We’re All Mad Here (Welcome to the Crew): The last song leads well into this one, which does start out softer in the first lines. As should be obvious from the title, this song has a lot of Alice in Wonderland references, which I really loved!
A Traveling Song: This is a great end to the overall EP. It’s the most quiet of their songs, but the sound and lyrics blend well, making the listener really pay attention. “A Traveling Song” is like poetry to music.
Overall, I think this is a great EP. The songs are placed well and The Unlikely Hero keeps their sound mostly upbeat, even for some of the softer songs. I grew up with a lot of pop/punk bands and this band definitely reminds me of some of the best. They have a classic, upbeat sound with interesting lyrics. If you want to get a taste of the music before you buy, be sure to visit their website. The entire EP is available for $4.95 on iTunes, and I would definitely recommend it. In fact, I’m about to purchase it myself, so who is with me?
The titles of the each song are great. I heard a recording artist talking about how placement of songs in an album is critical to its success. That's something I'd never considered. You're mentioning it here reminded me of that interview.
Ooo I like this music review, and the titles kind of tell a story. Thanks Lauren for sharing!
I love pop/punk and grew up with a lot of it too, and this sounds like a band I would probably like. Love the titles too!
I'm always looking for some new music, I'll go look this one up and sample it. That's a great price!
So much fun that you got to do this!
I'm so glad you enjoyed this. I'm always on the lookout for new music and will keep an eye on this band. Thanks for the great review, Lauren.
It's the first time I see a review about an album but it's interesting. I didn't know the artists but I'll check that out.
Great review Lauren! I grew up with loads of pop/punk bands myself; so I'd love to check this EP out!
xx
Yay, your site is working for me again.
Thank you for introducing me to new music.