Trash Boat - Brainwork (EP Review)

I've been familiar with Trash Boat for a while and over the coarse of the last year or so the band has started gaining a lot of buzz. They signed with Hopeless Records which launched some of the biggest names in the current pop/punk/rock genre. It's not a surprise that a lot of people, including myself, expected this EP to deliver some quality songs.

The EP kicks off with "Taylor" a short song that builds into some quick paced pop/punk. It's a nice start to the EP. It sets the mood really well. The one thing I instantly enjoy about the EP is the vocals. They are performed really well throughout the entire EP. It's hard for the hooks not to get stuck in your head after a couple listens with such energy and intensity. The strained intensity of the vocals on "Perspective" is one of the best, if not the best, vocal performances on the entire EP and it's a song I think could easily appeal to pop/punk listeners looking for their summer soundtrack. It's probably the best song on this EP. The last song on the EP, "Eleven", has some nice sounding guitar riffs. The drumming has a nice intensity. The guitars paired with the vocals really drive the song in a neat way. The song is interesting because, like most of this EP, the vocals just instantly stick out as my favorite part. I feel like the music on this song really takes a front seat and I think it's a really nice closing song that ends the EP strong. It definitely shows that the band can express a few different emotions and it has a really nice vibe. I really like the chanted group vocals at the end of the song and I can see fans singing along and really enjoying it.

Overall this EP is catchy, melodic, and fast. It has a moment or two when things slow down, but mostly this is a pretty high octane EP. It's a really fun listening experience. The band has delivered a really good EP that's perfect for the warm weather months. It may not set them too far apart from a lot of their pop/punk peers, who are writing songs pretty similar to these, but the songs are strong and catchy. That coupled with Hopeless pull and it's easy to see why this band is making big waves and is in line to be an up and coming band for the genre. I'm really enjoying this and would definitely recommend it.