Thursday, May 23, 2013

Album Review: Torches -If People Stare EP

Torches
If People Stare EP
*** out of *****

This is a trio of indie rockers from LA (not to be confused with the roots group from DC we reviewed in 2010) that know how to paint shimmering songs with soaring vocals and electric guitar loops. Their newest EP is If People Stare and the 4 tracks here all have an upbeat pop sensibility you would expect from an LA group while there seems to be a bit of angst just below the surface that adds to the tracks.

It can be noticed distinctly on the first song "When You Gonna".  At first brush it seems just like another love song about a pair of disjointed lovers with Ohh's and Aah's but paying attention to the lyrics adds emotinal depth concerning the death of a relationship.  The fuzzed up guitar outro helps as well; a really cool track.

Bass player (who has since left the group) Bridgette Moody adds gorgeous background vocals to the title track while "Watch You Like a Hawk" has a west coast The National vibe. "In My Sleep" is an uptempo hand clapper that ends this short EP on an energetic note that is sure to get the crowd up dancing in the live setting. 

Solid production and expert sound add to the overall effort. The 4 tracks come in at 13 minutes but it is clearly worth a listen with a combo of gnat like guitars, direct drums and most importantly solid songs. 

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The best part of this review? You don't need to take RtBE's word for it! You can download or stream this EP for free here or here! Def worth 13 minutes of your life to see if you like it and support Torches.

Check them out here, Catch them live here, and peep the video for "When You Gonna" here:

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