EP Review- Major Major Major

Recently we have been publishing rather lengthy pieces. Word has come from our head office in NYC that we are no longer permitted to do this. So, until our state secedes from the union, we are going to have to deliver our customary quality with brevity.

Major Major Major’s self-titled EP begins bravely with a gorgeous ambient intro (sounds like a sound check for Broken Social Scene). About a minute and a half in, the rest of the band enters and the track turns into a 90’s influenced doo-op song. Adrian Sebastian’s vocals are quite perfect for the piece; soft spoken in one moment and then full of boyish charm in the next. Then, Peace Love Darkness picks the album up from its initial picturesque melancholy into a very energetic, almost modish sort of tone. The opening lyrical rhyme scheme falls a bit flat, but Sebastian makes up for it throughout the rest of the track. Peace Love Darkness is definitely garage pop, but pop done well.

In The Caribbean holds the same charm of the previous song while lowering the tempo slightly. The drums and bass saunter forward around the center guitar piece, which is placed well against the bridge and chorus of the track. The break down near the end is a fantastic moment of something completely different, however the guitar solo following the break down seems a bit forced in recording (though in a live setting it worked brilliantly). Wouldn’t Mind At All is my favorite track on the album. The vocal line is what keeps the audience hooked, with a lovely half step drop during the chorus it is matched only by the bass, which swings nicely through the 4/4 backdrop.

As a whole piece the EP flows perfectly from one song to the next. The synth touches, the backup vocals, and guitar tones throughout this EP are golden. It’s unfortunately rare when an EP or LP is an actual piece to be considered as a whole, as opposed to a collection of singles. Perhaps more groups, pop or not, should take their cues from Major Major Major’s heartbroken yet boyishly cheerful EP. –Taylor Browne