Album Review: Since Forever - L.O.V.Ep

While you could scrape the make up off Since Forever’s 'L.O.V.Ep' with a spoon, there is a charming sparkle that distracts from the dime a dozen sound Since Forever perfects. It is as if Since Forever purposefully over-produced the EP for effect, a trend becoming more and more prominent ( and more and more gut wrenching) in the pop/rock scene. The difference between Since Forever and other bands in their genre, is they’ve got writing hook’s down to a science, while backing the simplistic chord progressions with shockingly fine tuned guitar chops.

The most maddening part about this whole EP is it’s pandemically infectious choruses. You see, Since Forever takes those over used, cliché’ vocal harmonies, matches them with some modern breakdown-ey parts, and sprinkles on top the 5 note guitar riffs that just cut the jugular, making you loving the very thing your trying to desperately to hate.

Starter track 'Coast and Yo'u breaks open the EP with a teenage girl friendly guitar chord –break-guitar riff intro. Join that with All Time Low inspired vocals, and you’ve got your self a nice mix of fluff and auto tune. It’s a good example of "castrated music..."

The music just seems so soulless on 'L.O.V.Ep'. There are no original moments, no mind blowingly interesting song structures, just copy/pasted verses and choruses. The dilemma with Since Forever and their EP isn’t whether the music is good or bad, its if the music is real, rather than just some dudes who want to play music and be in a band. EP closer, 'Get Low', is a perfect example. The intro starts and instantly you’re asking the question “Where did I hear this before?” by a minute in, you’ve gotten over the fact that everything you hear is a repeat, and you’re just stuck enjoying the pleasant sounds.

It’s a shallow approach to music, but at least Since Forever doesn’t butcher the act of playing music. The songs are all tight: every instrument is perfectly in sync, the vocal harmonies nicely match the guitar riffs, and the bass and drums keep rhythm like they’re supposed to. You can’t really complain about that. You can complain that its heartless bullshit that’s unoriginal and uninspiring, but it’s hard to deny it’s “cuteness.” Really, Since Forever 'L.O.V.Ep' is that cute girl you dug in 10 grade, who looking back wasn’t that great, but wasn’t that bad.

2.5/5

'L.O.V.Ep' by Since Forever is released on October 19th.

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Xan Mandell