Review by Shannon Shumaker
It’s not very often that an EP can manage to tell a story in merely five songs, but Unifier’s Gutted EP does just that. With an overall theme of reinvention, the album feels like a journey, and in just five songs, that’s a feat that not many can accomplish.
The first song on this journey is “Fall.” The overall feeling of the song is warm and mellow, which meshes amazingly with some gorgeous vocal harmonies throughout the song. The way that the vocals blend with the music is remarkable – instead of outshining the pretty, sweeping guitar work, the vocals manage to sound just like another instrument, another piece of the puzzle, and the result is breathtaking.
“Break” follows “Fall” and feels a little more urgent, like the introduction of the plot. You have to break before you mend, after all, and the difference between the second and third songs on the EP are the perfect example of that. There’s also a really cool effect on the vocals in the bridge of “Break” that make the song really stand out and shine, and with a strong, catchy chorus, “Break” is easily one of the strongest tracks on the album. Following “Break” is the warmer, lighter track, “Mend.”
“Sink” is another high point on Gutted because of the way the song seems to breathe and grow. It feels darker in the beginning with the deep guitar parts, but the break right before the chorus is beautiful and bright, with simple vocals and percussion, which makes the song really come alive. The final track, “Forget” is easily the darkest song on the album. There’s a lot of intensity to the song, but, with the theme of reinvention, it leaves you on a positive note. With the way that Gutted flows as a story, it’s hard not to look forward to Unifier’s future. If this EP is just a teaser of what’s to come, I can’t wait.
Rating: 4.5/5
Listen to “Sink”