Reckless Intentions - 'Lights' EP Review

Tracklist:

1. Ghost Town

2. Stitches

3. L I G H T S

4. Outcast

5. Home

When listening to this EP the first word that came to mind was quirky. From the vocalists unique voice down to the quick paced lead and great rhythmic riffs, right down to the cleverly incorporated drums, Reckless Intentions have produced quite the EP.

Kickstarting with 'Ghost Town', the song starts with the very identifiable sound of the amp lead connection with guitar/guitar strings being brushed. Which then leads into the subtle sound of lead guitar introducing the tune you hear throughout the song. After a short introduction the rhythms introduced and this is where those slightly distorted sounding riffs come into play, slowly adding to the depth of the song. Followed very quickly by drums filling out the song with further depth and the heartbeat, the vocalist then steps into the mix. The song begins to really pick up once the vocals are added, which helps to make this song the perfect opening to this EP as it showcases their Pop Punk ability.

'Stitches' presents more lead than rhythm with the versus, allowing us to experience the bass to a higher volume and better potential. As the chorus builds the rhythm kicks in with drums beginning at the same time. 'Stitches' incorporates a balance of both light, gentle drums to more intricate harsher beats throughout the different stages of the song. 'Stitches' also brings more emotion alight, making it feel more relatable than 'Ghost Town'. Lyrics such as 'would you miss me", are hard to not find relatable which is a great way to draw a bigger crowd, as there's more connection with the audience.

Next up is 'L I G H T S', the EP's titled track. Starting off slowly, allowing the notes to fade out, the rhythm guitarist allows for the track to feel relaxing. Next to begin are drums and bass, with the drummer producing slower and more gentler beats, allowing the rhythm and bass to be the main focus, the song feels more dreamy than Hardcore. Next we are reintroduced to the lead guitar whose plucked strings remind us of the bands Pop Punk music style and ties the whole vocal free piece together. This 1:25 minute long track is jam packed yet doesn't feel over flooded. Ending abruptly, suspense builds for the next track.

Speeding things back up a little, 'Outcast' starts with bass proving the introduction, adding a little twist to the track before its even truly begun. With this use of bass to provide the beginning of the lead and rhythm journey, the drums are allowed the time to kick in powerfully yet steadily. From here the rhythmic riffs begin, reminding us of their slight distortion and allowing bass to take its place alongside them. Lead comes into affect towards the beginning of the first chorus building up the song structure. By the layering the band have achieved here, each rhythm and lead riff from the guitars and bass, have been able to have been tailored very cleverly. This tailoring ensures for the incorporation of different techniques. Techniques such as picking and strumming of the instruments, which can be heard clearly showcasing the band has ensured that different volumes and sounds have been accomplished. Meanwhile, whilst all this technicality is ongoing, the vocals are proceeding to sprinkle some more Pop Punk influence over the track, featuring some prolonging and ranging of pitches, further adding to the structure and increasing the Pop Punk build up of the song.

Finally, finishing this EP is 'Home' is the final track. 'Home' slows everything down revealing almost a stripped down version of Reckless Intentions.With only piano providing the main structure, here is where you truly notice how unique the vocals are in this band. There is a slight twang of an accent visible here, but not too much that it's identifiable where they are from. However, because of this it makes the vocalists voice unique enough, that you feel these songs wouldn't sound right without it. And with their own twist on the Pop Punk world, the uniqueness to the vocals just makes the whole package! 'Home' is a beautiful track, with relatable lyrics that provides a further outreach for a wider audience. It doesn't feel quite like love song or that of a break up track, yet at the same time it definitely oozes some raw emotion. As the chorus kicks in we are reunited with those; drums, lead, rhythm and bass, that turn the song from what may have potentially been something almost on the verge of a ballard, back to that Pop Punk scene we have been familiarised with by the other tracks.

All in all its a great EP, and I think its perfect for blasting through your car stereo whilst driving down those long roads in the summer. Its the perfect balance of Pop Punk, fun and quirkiness with a tiny smidgin of raw emotion. You can sing along to this with all your might, and I guarantee you will enjoy yourself and this music.