Take Cover – The Last Word
The Last Word is a small four track EP from Minneapolis’ own Take Cover. This pop rock band specialises in a heartfelt brand of music modest in nature but large in impact. Take Cover plays tracks from an underdog’s stand point, which gives rise to hope and sincerity that quickly wins over listeners. While they may not seem especially original on paper, after a quick listen of The Last Word, I found them to put a pleasant spin on hashed and reused themes of girls and romance. Most importantly the serious undertone that highlights the lyrics is also reinforced in their sound. Therefore the finished product is a rugged and hardier pop rock, good for repeat listens and a longer lasting experience.
The first thing I noticed about Take Cover, is their very familiar vocals. At times Take Cover sounds very similar to Patrick Stump of FOB, whom I always thought had great vocals despite the lack of band appeal. Take Cover’s sound commands attention, it is edgy yet still sensitive enough to relate to listeners. The Whole Story for example, has an aggressive and catchy chorus, but is accompanied with a lot inspirational tidbits that listeners will eat up. With lines like “I wish you could see me now, because I’m doing it for myself,” it is an inspiring listen despite its reoccurring theme. I thought the melody wasn’t anything special, a little more aggressive than most pop rock sounds, and quite vibrant and full but again, it’s the vocals that pushes the song in the right direction. The vocal melody is fantastic and catchy, and is the glue behind the feel-good inspirational feelings that are emitted from this song.
Followed up by Resolution, this is where Take Cover really begins to use some rather cliché themes. “I’ll make a resolution remind me to forget you,” a song about forgetting a girl, not a positive attribute, but I can deal. To their credit, the lyrics are far more superior compared to the average pop rock song about a girl, and that’s really a testament to their maturity, which is also evident in their sound. There’s a couple of standing points that made this song amazing for me. The first is the a capella introduction that initiates the clever and exciting vocal melody. I thought it was very well done overall. Secondly, there were spots of quick falsettos that were a nice touch to an otherwise good song. These small elements combined to produce an even better sound, and a very complete pop rock track at that.
The EP also consists of tracks Escape Artist and The Last Word. Escape Artist is much more gritty and aggressive in the beat and vocals. I thought the lyrics also reflected this new pace and had an interesting theme. Finally The Last Word was more of the same honest music, a little emo, and a little hopeful all at the same time. I can’t pinpoint it exactly but there’s something about Take Cover that I can relate to, yet they still supply a high demanding and energetic performance. Their main stream themes, combined with their aggressive style of play and maturity makes for some serious hits. Take Cover is definitely worth checking out at the very least, it may not wow you, but it’s a good listen first and foremost.
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Tags: EP
