Review by Dom Vigil
From States Away hold nothing back on their new EP, Hypervigilant. Driven by emotional vocals and powerful lyricism, these five songs are incredibly easy to relate to without trying too hard. Vocalist Chris Lauletti conveys emotion and personal experiences in a way that, while personal is also universal, and does so in a way that sounds easy.
The first of the five songs, “Fight Or Flight” is a perfect example of the strong lyricism on the EP. Lines like “Always the odd one out,” and “I didn’t fit in anywhere,” are something nearly anyone can relate to, and are delivered with such passion and honesty that you can practically feel the loneliness and frustration behind them. All of this is over high energy instrumentals and choruses that are worthy of sing-alongs.
The following song, “Ashes,” follows suit. Lyrics are delivered in half-yells, passionate and emotional, similar to artists like Real Friends. Then comes “Ferris Wheel,” which is another emotional song filled with longing. Lines like “I guess I’ll admit I miss you,” are standouts. However by the time this third song comes in, it does become apparent that there are some repetitions and similarities in the vocal melodies in the songs on the EP. Although each song is strong emotionally, sonically it can be hard to pick them apart without listening a few times through.
There are definitely a few stand out moments on Hypervigilant, though. The closing song, “Chasing Amy,” for instance, is bound to make you eager to hear more from this group. The raw emotion in the vocals, while present throughout the entire EP, really hits a peak in the final song, as does the guitar work, which is definitely strongest in this track.
At the end of the day, Hypervigilant is everything a pop-punk EP should be. It’s high energy, catchy and driven by emotional lyricism, making it very honest and relatable. It’s very easy to tell when an artist is faking an emotion or forcing something, but everything about this EP is genuine. From States Away deal with anxiety, heartbreak and feeling lost on Hypervigilant, and by the time you reach the stunning conclusion, you’ll feel as if you went through it all with them.
Rating: 3.5/5
Listen to “Ferris Wheel”
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