I first noticed Anarbor in the scene when they did some extensive touring with some of my favourite bands including The Maine, The Cab and TAI among others. They will be touring with Cute is What We Aim For this year, so they are definitely amongst good company. Although hearing nothing but good things, I never did check out their older material. Free Your Mind, is the first stuff I’ve heard from them, and probably won’t be the last. It’s a hefty EP with 7 solid tracks that continue to savour their upbeat and wild style.

Let The Games Begin starts the album off with a rugged beat. The strong points of the melody come from the simple and grungy guitar work, offering a heavy dose of danceable tunes. The gem behind their style however must be from the vocal work of lead singer Slade Echeverria. He has a cool sound similar to The Audition’s, Danny Stevens, however I think he boasts a little more talent. His deep nasally passages give a nice original voice but his knack for perfectly timed falsettos really puts the performance on a high level. Combined is a super entertaining track that has a lot of edge but is also addictively pop rock.

The Brightest Green takes advantage of a catchy melody in both the instrumentals and the vocals. The vocal melody is a roller coaster ride of falsettos and generally the up and down tone is exciting to listen to. Otherwise the track is very hip and something that I could imagine being played inside of a rock club. The vibrant performance seems to be tailored for live acts and would be a treat to listen to at a concert.

Where The Wild Things Are (Monsters) is my favourite track off this EP. The track has the same exciting pace and creative theme similar to the style of The Academy Is… (one of my favourite bands). It begins with a calming verse and translates into a catchy and high paced chorus. I really enjoyed the melody, the vocals and most importantly the clever lyrics. That track is fast and exciting, but also feels more meaningful than the previous two.

The album switches from the glam-rock style to a more conservative alternative feel between tracks. Halfway Sober sounds a bit more traditional and mild in terms of aggression. Whereas the final song, Always Dirty, Never Clean gets back to the jazzier more wild version of them selves. A true testament to a multifaceted banded I thoroughly enjoyed this EP from start to finish. The variety of tracks, amount, and quality make this a worth while EP at the very least, and a great release overall. Anarbor is a band to look out for with their imposing style and slick sound, I don’t know whether to expect a jazzy dance rock or a soulful ballad.

Check out their Myspace for more info about them.

Anarbor – Let The Games Begin

Anarbor – Where The Wild Things Are

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