Does anyone know the the length of time for something to be labeled as belated? Like, for example, we decide to review an EP that came out last November… that’s still belated, right? Belated, late, whatever you may call it, we’re still here reviewing a just over six month old EP and the fact that it’s been out there for this long and we still wanna get the word must mean we think it’s something special, right? Well, it is!
Recent Rock & Roll Rumble finalists One Fall is riding high off their recent triumphant sets because of the strength of the songs that got them there and for now you, too, can bask in that post-Rumble glow by listening to their debut self-titled EP over and over and over again until the missives within are forever embedded in yer head. Which won’t be that hard considering how memorable each track here is.
“Slingshot” rips from the start with an instantly iconic guitar line from Phil Hunt and soon the barrage of Joe MacFadzen’s bass (With Kyle Paradis currently handling bass duties live) and Caleb Wheeler’s drumming come in at a frenetic pace with Helen McWilliams’ powerful pipes and accompanying rhythm guitar leading One Fall away from just some typical Pop/Punk fare. Clever lyrics, strong musicianship, and a penchant for delivering some rad anthems are just a few of the aspects that make “Slingshot” and the rest of what’s to come stand out so much.
McWilliams’ impassioned voice shines even more during “Rats Abandon Ship” which immediately explodes from the speakers/headphones with a sort of Metalcore aesthetic mixed with old school NYHC (Think Biohazard or Life Of Agony) before settling into a more melodic melee with “Shoot Straight” shredding next and bursting with a vibrant heaviness that’ll have fans either bouncing up and down or banging their head while uncontrollably singing along.
As a recent first timer to the One Fall live experience, there’s no possible way that any recording could actually convey what it’s like to see the Salem quartet in the flesh and on the stage but this debut EP, engineered and mixed by Kyle Paradis in Salem and mastered by Joe Reilly at Black and Blue Mastering in New Bedford, sure comes pretty damn close.
One Fall is out now and can be purchased/streamed by heading here. For more from One Fall, including where to get your live fix, follow them across the information superhighway by clicking here, here, or here.