The Obsessives - Manners (EP Review)

Near Mint, a new label that just launched, is releasing The Obsessives EP Manners as the label's debut cassette release. This is important for both The Obsessives and Near Mint. It's a chance for both parties to show why Manners is a great first release for a label and a chance for The Obsessives to showcase their ability to a wider audience. I was really interested to hear the EP and was more than pleased with the EP.

Manners is a great representation of emo/indie rock from the recent crop of new emo bands that have sprung up throughout the last couple of years. The band presents a nice batch of songs for the EP. The songs are really well constructed and have a great sound overall. I really like the lyrics as well. I think that's one of the band's strongest elements and it helps them stick out from the pack. Sound wise this is reminiscent of early emo pioneers like American Football, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Mineral while also fitting in nice with the crop of newer bands like Marietta, Dads, The Hotelier, and You Blew It! This sound has had a lot of interest this year. If you're into any of those bands I just mentioned, then you should check this out. It's probably right up your alley. "Smell California" is one of my favorite songs from the EP and a track I would definitely recommend checking out. It's the second song on the EP and I think it's a pretty good representation of the band. I really like the pace of the song, the way the vocals are done, and I'm a huge fan of how the guitar sounds on the song. I also really like the song "Cleaner" as a closer to the EP. I like the lyrics on the song quite a bit.

Production wise this is a little rough around the edges, but that's probably intentional. It reminds me a lot of the way Marietta's Summer Death was mixed and mastered. I like that sound for this style of music. I like the way the vocals were done on this. They sound like they are buried in the mix a little in places which helps add to the sound and vibe and lets the guitars lead the songs in some spots.

Manners is a good EP. I've heard tons of "emo revival" bands this year and from time to time I can get a little taxed out with how many bands are trying to capture this sound or something similar. Some are memorable but some are good but forgettable. I think Manners will be memorable. I enjoyed it; it's a pretty solid listen. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more from the band and seeing what Near Mint does in the future. I think this release is a big win for both parties.

You can order the limited edition cassette: HERE.