Review by Dillon Crader
The well-known acoustic artist, Koji comes out swinging with his new EP Fury. This is the first time I have ever listened to Koji, and my first thought when listening to Fury was that I was blown away by the full “band” aspect. I was expecting a four song acoustic release that wouldn’t be too exciting.
The first song, the title track, opens up with a stellar catchy guitar riff that instantly hooks you in. The song is pulled together so beautifully to make the lead guitar the focal point, and it is very elegant. I expected Koji’s voice to sound a lot differently then the vocals that are delivered on the EP. The vocals are so subtle and add a smooth feeling to this song and the EP as a whole. The next track “Breaking and Broken” yet again starts off with an amazing guitar riff. This song delivers, just like the first. The build up to the ending vocals is phenomenal, giving a nice humbling feeling with his voice and the soothing but yet killer guitar.
The third track on the EP, “Everyday,” I felt was one of the weaker songs on Fury. I did not get that amazing vibe from this song that I got on the first two tracks and the last track on the EP, “Question.” The song does have some sweet elements to it though, specifically the drums. The soft drums leading into the verse on “Everyday” give a very cool feeling to the song. I think this song just lacks is the lyricism that makes the other songs strong. The last track, “Question,” starts off with that same subtle and pretty guitar work that instantly hooked me in the beginning. I guess you could say I am a sucker for the sound and tone of the guitar on this EP, and I think Koji delivers on the guitar for all of the tracks. I hope Koji continues to produce these outstanding guitars on later releases.
Overall, Fury is a solid release for a smaller EP. I was very intrigued by the full band on this EP and instantly reminded of something similar to what Into It. Over It. does with the full band. I hope to hear stuff a lot more similar to Fury and see Koji grow from this release.
Rating: 4/5
Listen to “Fury”