Grayscale - Leaving (EP Review)

(Note: this was reviewed from a Bandcamp Stream)

I came across this band as I was looking for some new music to check out. On first listen I thought, hey this is pretty good high energy pop/punk with the dash of emotional lyrics that is currently making Real Friends one of the most hyped new pop/punk groups. In fact I'd say Grayscale really reminds me of Real Friends in a lot of ways. Not saying Real Friends has the most original sound, but by current standards if you are really into Real Friends right now, and you find yourself growing a little tired of bony knees and sleepy eyes, this could potentially be your favorite new group.

The EP contains eight songs as well as an acoustic version of one of the songs and a bonus track (if purchased through Bandcamp). It is a really great summer EP. It's no frills pop/punk that when done right, the way Grayscale do it, really has the right mixture of high octane energy and catchy lyrics that will get stuck in your head with ease. It's easily one of the catchiest EP's I've heard in a while.

The songwriting is overall really solid. I think that if you're a fan of pop/punk at all you’ll think the majority of the tracks on the EP are really strong and of equal value. If I had to pick out a track that I would recommend you check out first I think "Growing Pains" sticks out after a couple listens. The only track I find myself kind of jumping through is "Elevator Song" which is basically two odd minutes of instrumental music. I think it slows down the EP and maybe it is meant to be a joke or just a chance to throw in something a little different, but with a batch of songs that has such nice flow I didn't like the way it disrupted the pace of the EP.

I think it's time to put this band on your calendar and start counting down the days until they become the next big thing in pop/punk. Now that may or may not happen, but this band definitely deserves consideration for that position. Seriously you might just be putting the "bony knees, sleepy eyes" beanie in the closet and trading it in for one with "leaving" or "let go of everything" (listen to the song "Growing Pains" to hear those lyrics) on it instead. This is a good EP and I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

You can purchase the EP from Bandcamp: HERE.