In a world of singer/songwriters who seem content to stick to a tried and tested formula, I’ll See You Down The Road stands out like a sonic beacon in a mist-covered landscape. But that’s because, as the rest of this fantastic EP proves, this is far from their natural environment. Instead, it is a brilliant, beautiful, and buoyant distraction from their normal sonic realm.
So, beyond this opener, the sound of them taking the scenic route away from their usual stamping ground, we find a trio of cooly crafted slices of shimmering indie-rock for want of a better term. Before It Get’s Better is anthemic and stadium-ready, I’m Sorry I Dragged You Down is abrasive, crunchy, dark, and brooding, and Summer 2003 is a squalling slice of nostalgia.
Better Days Ahead is an excellent set of songs; it shows that they can write big tunes; even the more understated opener feels like it looms over and leaps ahead of the usual Troubador fare. It shows that they know how to balance the anthemic and the accessible. It shows that they can write songs that appeal to the discerning music fan and should easily find their way to chart-infested waters. But more than that, these are just great songs, and, at the end of the day, is all that matters.
