Today marks the start of a year-long journey that quartet We Are Voices will embark on. The whole project, appropriately titled Year, will take twelve months to complete. Once every quarter, the band will release a few singles and an accompanying music video. Four shows a year, four separate releases all feeding into Year. Today, Year I was released.
The two tracks embody all of the classic We Are Voices elements with a new twist. The band builds its songs with clean drums; no distortions, no tricks, just a clean and clear kit. The bass is ample, pertinent, and easy to pick out. The guitars are in perfect harmony, which creates an ethereal and dynamic tune. The vocals are effortlessly spoken yet ultimately at the front of your attention.
Year I starts with “Tear Me Apart,” a classic song in the We Are Voices style, but with a hint of a twist. The chorus that chimes in several times throughout the song (as choruses tend to do) is outrageously catchy. An indie-pop hit waiting to happen. The perfect lull of the song mixed with the heavy tones of the chorus mash up perfectly throughout the four-minute duration. The accompanying music video is for the same song, layering each band member on top of the other as they chime in. Starting with guitarist Carson Land on guitar, the flickering of the video hints at the motif of a flipbook. Guitarist Lucas Larson comes in, his images super-imposed over Land’s. Joshua Greenlee breaks in on drums, followed by Eric Baldwin on the bass. The video perfectly displays the layers that We Are Voices incorporate in their music.
The second, and final song of Year I is called “Disappear.” This song heavily features the piano, not a stranger to We Are Voices, but a pleasant visitor. Again, this song features an outstanding chorus that adds layer over layer, in a mellow, not empowering way. The verses are rather stripped down in the beginning, at least. The song structure is one that builds on top of itself rather than repeating. Encompassing music themes hold the song together.
These two singles have made the two-year lull in the band’s discography worth the wait. The fact that in another three months we can experience some more new singles from We Are Voices is very exciting as well. Year II should be out by October.
—Steven Ervay
Steven is an all-around awesome guy who works tirelessly for the KC music community.
Tear Me Apart from w e . a r e . v o i c e s on Vimeo.