Aspirations

Aspirations certainly haven’t made winning new fans over easy on themselves. EP! is very, very difficult to digest initially, regardless of what type of stuff you’re into. Then again, so is most of the music that’s actually worth your time.

The band finds success in foiling. Their music blends pop-synth sampling with punk-influenced guitar parts, and the vocals teeter between coarsely-shouted male vocals and smooth-as-silk female pop singing. The combinations of these polarized elements do nothing but highlight their extreme differences; yet like pulling a bunny from a hat, out of nowhere appears a hidden bridge that offers a coherent fusion of the seemingly dissimilar oppositions. Aspirations have dug themselves into a very unique sound, into which fans of the band’s influencing musical styles may be reluctant to jump. And that’s fair enough. But…

The key here is that those willing to give these five songs the attention they deserve will stumble across something very special—something new, shared only amongst those that ‘get it.’ The first two songs are likely the most well rounded of the four originals here, although “Get Fucked” has an awesome beat that most hip-hoppers would beg for. The subtle female vocals are complimentary on all of them. The reworking of Jawbreaker’s “Accident Prone” is great too, and fans of either band can likely find something of value in Aspirations’ liberal, alternative take.

The lyrics are palatable and the production holds up; both act as welcome catalysts to the acceptance of exactly what Aspirations do. While more tracks will be welcome on an upcoming release, this band is certainly onto something, and I’m glad to be one of the chosen that will follow them further into their hole. Just don’t expect your girlfriend (or boyfriend) to like it.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. 10729 King George Hwy
02. Between Us
03. Get Fucked
04. Paulus Crescent
05. Accident Prone (Jawbreaker cover)

Run Time: N/A