theendisthebeginning has recently parted ways with their vocalist but, before doing so, they were able to come together and make one more good album entitled Tropics. The band also released a smaller, digital album at the same time which was titled, So Long Shadow.
The title track, “Tropics,” is a dark track with a mellow sound and even mellower vocals. This allows the music itself to take a front row and center seat squarely fixed upon your ears. There is a minimal amount of space like sound effects added as well that make the song stand out and sound quite interesting along with some great musicianship on all the instruments.
“Massive,” feels more pensive with a much quieter tone. Once again, the vocals are sung slightly slower than the music. However on this song, the music sounds more natural. The guitars appear to be played in lighter, lower chords while the percussion is played a bit heavier for most of the song’s duration. The collective effect makes for a slightly more unique sound.
The song, “Concreep,” is mellow like the others, but it has a lighter feel to it. The percussion is toned down but still recognizable behind the guitars. It is sad to think that the band is finding a new singer. The clarity of the vocals on this song and all the others is stupendous. While the vocals are not loud and allow the music to shine through more, they are still well heard and the listener will not be struggling to figure out the words to the song.
Tropics is a marvelously mellow disc from theendisthebeginning. The album features variation but has a good niche established. The guitars and percussion are played in such a way to compliment the other and take turns being in the foreground of the sound. I just hope the band can find a new vocalist that sings just as clear and smoothly as the one they were using on this album, if not better.
There is a lot to look forward to with this band and certainly their next outing will be well worth waiting for.
Key Tracks – Tropics, Massive, Concreep
Ashley Arseneau - Muzikreviews.com Staff
September 21, 2011
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