When I first heard that Souvenirs was signed to 6131 I was expecting another straight-up generic hardcore band. However, upon listening to their first release from last year, Sadder Days, I was pleasantly surprised to find a pop-punk/emo crossover band: one taking the lyrical writing style of ‘90s emo bands and the upbeat feel of pop-punk. This was right up my alley.
The band’s newest release, Tired of Defending You, leans closer to emo side by favoring groovier jams rather than upbeat tempos. While the change is good and shows progress for the band they did, however, seem to lose some of the uniqueness in the blending of genres they had before. Notably the band has matured lyrically and it is noticeable throughout the EP and it’s refreshing to see this band still has a lot of steam.
The single for the EP, titled “Sinking,” is easily the standout track on the release. Comprised of well-written lyrics and slow accenting percussion and guitar, it really captures the feel the band is going for. This contrasts well with the song “Sucker,” which is closer to the sound from the first EP.
Overall, Tired of Defending You is a solid release from a good band. It’s really cool to see a band like this coming from hardcore label 6131 and I really enjoyed watching them grow from the first EP to this one. Definitely going to be waiting for a full length.
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