Review by Shannon Shumaker
Always Perfect is an emotional burst of energy by Treason This, full of strong lyrical content that is well worth listening to over and over again. Starting off with a simple guitar part and shaky yet clear vocals, Always Perfect promises to be an honest album about growing up and finding oneself, and the first track “A Farewell Not One-Sided” is the perfect opener for it. As the song transitions from tentative vocals to an upbeat and steady poppy tune, it seems to really grow and bloom, much like how Treason This have done with this release.
“I Hate You Please Die,” while not quite as upbeat as the first track, starts out with a rather pleasing guitar part and a pretty vocal melody. Also unlike “A Farewell Not One-Sided,” with vocals that sounded a bit on the monotone side, you can definitely feel the lyrics a bit more in this song. The vocal runs in the chorus are especially strong, showing quite a bit of versatility as vocalist Michael Ingle hits some pleasant high notes.
The shaky and emotional quality of the vocals in the beginning of “A Farewell Not One-Sided” is explored more in the acoustic song, “Knife of the Month,” which is a short minute and a half song that leads into the more upbeat single, “Moviegoers Dilemma.” The great thing is that the vocals and lyrics shine on both a slower acoustic songs such as “Knife of Month,” but are also catchy as hell in “Moviegoers Dilemma.” Musically, “Moviegoers Dilemma” is also one of the strongest songs on the EP. Where some of the other songs tend to feel a little more simple in favor of hosting strong lyrical content, “Moviegoers Dilemma” has both catchy guitar hooks, fun vocal melodies and memorable lyrics, as well as plenty of soul and emotion.
“Suede” is another soft song like “Knife of the Month,” which proves that Treason This – who originally started as an acoustic project – have not forgotten their roots. This band is undeniably versatile, as they manage to hook you with catchy melodies with their more upbeat songs, but keep you around to stay with the emotional slower songs. While there aren’t necessarily any huge, explosive moments on Always Perfect, this EP is full of personal, emotional and relatable songs.
Rating: 3/5
Listen to “Moviegoers Dilemma”