At the risk of sounding like my dad but why is that young man shouting so much? What is he angry about?
I think I finally have the answer. He is angry because he is slowly coming to the realisation that his band are offering nothing different to the world of music that people haven't heard before and they are slowly drowning in an already flooded scene. The Influences for Dividing The Line are clear from the time you have reached the first chorus of track one. Its clear because its almost as if you are listening to a band covering Underoath and Enter Shikari.
The final track on the EP and also the single "Time To Thrive" could almost an Enter Shikari cast off. It sounds almost identical. I know it can be hard to find a new identity as a new band but when you resigned yourselves to being like your favorite tracks on your iPod it soon becomes harder to move away from that. I'm not saying they are bad musically. Just not new or exciting.
The duel vocals are ok but a band playing the music they do needs to be fronted by pretty ass kicking voices. The singing is average for the call and response singer/screamer thing they have got going on. It also made me think, would the singing be any better if what he was singing about made sense? If anyone can tell me what this line means, "I used to lie awake at night, staring at the ceiling. Following its track to find a new beginning" please feel free to email me and let me know.
The only saving grace on this EP, and its only a small one, is the screaming. Its deep when it needs to be, its harsh when the time is right but it still never feels genuine. Its almost as if its just for the sake of it. Saying that, it is still good but just with the mix of everything else going on, it just seems lost.
If you are looking for some music that will change your life forever give this EP a miss. If you want a "cool" new band to add to your top friends then Dividing The Line are the band for you.
review by Gavin