Review of Idle Wave's Self-Titled EP

  

        DISCLAIMER: Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. All music is subjective to the                            listener. Feel free to leave comments or your own opinion! Thanks! 

Idle Wave is a pop punk band from Asbury Park, New Jersey who just released their self-titled EP on December 1st, 2018. They combine upbeat, anthemic choruses with fun and catchy melodies. The group consists of Guy Battaglia, Kevin Houston, Joe Enright and Matt Herman. They developed their sound playing in the Asbury Park music scene and they've also played many basement shows around the area. Their EP was mixed by John Ferrara at Portrait Recording Studios in Pompton Plains, NJ and mastered by Kevin Mattesky at Phantom Center Media.

"You caught Me" kicks off with some guitar feedback and then a single snare hit signals everyone to come in. There is a distorted guitar panned left, while a muted/strummed phased guitar can be heard panned right. Some larger than life pop punk gang vocal "whoas" add some dimension and thickness to the track. The verse is light and airy, while the drums mimic a march type beat on the snare and kick drum. Then the chorus opens up with multiple distorted guitars and some single note lead guitar thrown in. I really enjoy the instrumental bridge section at 2:07 when the vocals cut out for a bit. It lets the instruments breath. It's like getting hit with a wave of pleasant distortion. The harmonies at 2:22 make this section seem larger than it actually is. The ending drum fill is fast, accurate and impressive. Guy's voice is gritty, yet soft at the same time.

The next track "Calm" is actually not so calm since it starts off fast and doesn't slow down. The drums keep time perfectly and he really pounds on the toms during the verses. This one is short, sweet and to the point. The acoustic guitar (heard clearly 6 seconds in) adds high-end shimmer to the track and makes the other guitars stand out.

At first listen "Smoke (Bad Dreams)" sounds like it could have been written by Weezer. I could  just imagine Rivers Cuomo singing the chorus and the guitar riffs/tone are spot on. I'm glad to see that these guys are influenced by them. They didn't just copy their sound, they built upon it and were able to add their own spin to it. The tambourine (36 seconds in) played on the upbeat gives the track a dance-like feel for the chorus. The guitars are thick and the leads are whimsical in nature.

"Heaven Knows" has a 6/8 swing feel to it, the guitars keep a steady arpeggiated rhythm and the drums make use of rim shots on the snare. Guy's voice is breathy and dramatic. It feels as if he is whispering/talking directly to you how he is feeling. The lyrics discuss themes of introspection and longing for some kind of companionship, like the line "I'm not going to make it alone". The ending jam is bouncy and intense. It's a great way to end the EP. The guys give it their all for this one.

The production is polished and the instruments are balanced well. The snare drum cuts through the mix exceptionally well. Everyone in this band knows how to play their instrument. Check out Idle Wave live and listen to their music below! Cheers!

-JM

Score 7.5/10

Favorite Track: "You Caught Me"


Bandcamp: http://idlewavenj.bandcamp.com/album/idle-wave

Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/713cTGQdjFE6R3oir2atOn

YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCZGKcWPnWJI2ABRtocSr9fA

Facebook: www.facebook.com/idlewavenj/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/idlewavenj/?hl=en

E-mail: idlewavenj@gmail.com 

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