The Motel Life

Like many bands, The Motel Life came to be, from an amalgamation of people who had just quit their bands. These 5 guys were now determined to produce music, with a maturer sound than their previous offerings. This EP is their first proper release to the world and to be fair, the five piece band hailing from California, have comfortably achieved their aim for a mature sound. Although, it’s clear they still have the energy of their youth, it’s combined with some slower, maybe even slightly darker noises.

Overall, the EP is full of contrasts. There are some really fast and powerful moments, normally found in the middle and toward the end of the songs and these moments are contrasted by some slow openings to songs. For me, the introduction of “Ghosts” was one of the best moments of the album. It begins with some sort of feedback creeping in combined with a clean sounding guitar, while the drums intermittently thump in and out. The song then progresses into a smooth pop emo song, where it’s clear the band is at its strongest and most comfortable. Another treat with the slow introductions emerging into a good, fast song, is the intro track, “Good Morning” which is a short 1 minute 43 seconds long. It starts off with another clean sounding guitar, then accompanied by the bass and drums and builds up until it emerges into a beautiful and powerful last 30 seconds with the vocals mixed deep into the music.

A real plus point about the EP is the difference in songs. There’s no Green Day effect, of all the songs sounding the same, but there is a diversity that is refreshing. The tracks can differ from smooth, upbeat rhythms, to slow and dark sounds as heard on “Hunting Soldiers”; which has to be one of the most emotional songs I’ve heard in a long time, almost up to the standards of fellow emo band, Brand New. The angst that comes across in the song is quite simply brilliant.

Overall, it’s a must buy EP for the emo fan. Even those not particularly inclined to the genre should give it a go. This is a good EP and the band promise to be a group worth keeping your eye on as the quality of music produced is of a very high standard already.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Good Morning
02. We All Left Something Behind
03. Presale
04. Ghosts
05. So Strange
06. Hunting Soldiers (Soldiers Hunting)
07. The Country Song
08. I’ll Find Myself Another State

Run Time: 30:16