Review - A Brilliant Lie - Waking Vessels

   The Orlando, Florida based band is back with a new EP. Their debut release, Regarding Harry Lime remains my favorite album that I've ever had the pleasure of reviewing. I had to actually stop listening to the original release and the early demos in order to be able to listen to Waking Vessels objectively. The debut was an amazing blend of instrumentals meshing seamlessly with vocals that echoed real sentiment and emotion. Considering how highly I regarded the debut, I worried that it might be hard to match the level of artistic honesty and songwriting that was so prominent in the first EP.  If you haven't heard their original EP then stop reading right now and give it a listen here.


   To start the review off, i'll have to say that Waking Vessels has the chance to become much more commercially successful than their previous work. The way the songs are composed speaks to a much larger audience without compromising the core of what the band is about. The biggest example of this would have to be the new single "Red Eyes (Of Thoughts Awry)". (See the link to the video below.) Think A Brilliant Lie meets Coheed and Cambria and you'll be close to what this song achieves. "There, I Said It" continues the bands push into new territory in terms of production and mass appeal. While the release reaches new heights in production values, ( Thanks in part to producer and engineer James Paul Wisner), the essential elements of what make the band great are still intact. There isn't any part of the bands approach to thoughtful songwriting that has been sacrificed in order to create a more marketable EP.

   Songwriting has always been the bands strength. Every song is written in a way that it doesn't force feed you a narrative. Everyone can walk away from these songs holding their own meaning. When you write a song based on the pure emotion of everyday experiences you welcome the listener to relate to the song and create a connection. This also makes the songs timeless. Ten years from now you could put this EP on and it would still be just as powerful as it is today. The instrumentals are perfectly matched with the lyrical content and set the mood and tone of each track. The band doesn't play to individual strengths. Their strength is the cohesiveness of all the parts combined. The guitars, drums, and bass all are noticeably more intricate on this release and Tara has stretched her vocal range to new levels as evidenced on the choruses of  "Red Eyes" and "Taller".

   From the roaring start given by "Red Eyes" to the sixth and last emotional track "Lockets", this Ep delivers in every way possible. Perfectly paced and expertly executed, this release sets a precedent for upping  production values and mass appeal while still delivering something moving and meaningful. The only problem that remains with this release is how to top it, but then again, I said that the last time they released an EP. Make sure to check out the brand new video for "Red Eyes (Of Thoughts Awry)" and give them a vote by watching the video below and sharing. If the video isn't working on your device you can watch the video from Youtube: Red Eyes (Of Thoughts Awry) Video
                                                   10 / 10
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