REVIEW: Close Up On The Quiet Ones – Land Ho EP

February 21st, 2013

Kriston McConnell

ARTIST: Close Up On The Quiet Ones
ALBUM: Land Ho EP
GENRE: Post hardcore
LABEL: None

Close Up On The Quiet Ones are a four piece post hardcore group originating from Greenville, North Carolina. In the summer of 2012 they released an EP titled Did You Think If You Were Quiet, We Wouldn’t See You?. With that release they started picking up some momentum in the music scene and are now releasing their second EP, Land Ho.

The EP starts off slow with an acoustic intro but quickly erupts into a fast paced hard rock beat that sucks you in. “Your Own Personal Coma” is easily one of the best tracks on the EP. It showcases Alex’s vocal range and highlights the punchy guitars used throughout the album. This is just the start of an album that doesn’t take a break until the very end.

While all of the tracks on this EP are good, the one that stands out the most has to be “If You Play That Card I Swear” featuring guest vocals from Dee Marie. The song opens with a piano solo and leads into Alex singing along. Dee comes in and the music starts building as the guitars and drums make their way in. These two vocalists’ voices compliment each other throughout the entire song.

The EP is relatively short, as most are, and is over before you know it. Each track is full of life and passion. You can hear it in the vocals and in the intricate composition of the instruments. The album is put together cleanly, and there aren’t too many elements that are lacking. The biggest issue with any of the songs would be the lead vocalist’s screams. While most of the time his seemingly sporadic screaming vocals fit in the verse well, there are instances where the intense singing does not fit so well. An example would be in “If You Play That Card I Swear”, he intends to show the intensity of the lyrics with the screaming but it doesn’t flow as well with Dee’s voice or the piano.

This EP is a fresh take on a genre that most people associate with heavy breakdowns, 808s and synths. If you are a fan of bands like Letlive. or Las Dispute you might just like these guys. If they continue what they are doing then with some polishing they easily have what it takes to make great music for years to come.

SCORE: 8/10

Review written by Kriston McConnell