Review by Shannon Shumaker
Colorado Springs alternative/emo band You Never Were have created a beautiful musical landscape on their new EP, Voyeur. Spearheaded by sweet, smooth vocals, warm guitar tones and a strong rhythm section, the songs on Voyeur are easy to listen to, filled to the brim with emotion and most of all, incredibly unique.
“Feign” starts the EP out slow, but does a great job at setting the tone for the following five songs. Subtle but beautiful vocal harmonies drive the first track alongside reverb-heavy guitar and bass, giving off a warm, yet somewhat haunting feeling at the same time. By the time the song comes to an end, it leaves you hanging, wanting more and lost in a feeling of uncertainty and despair. Following this is the brighter “Porcelain,” which continues to explore the strong vocal work established in “Feign.” Vocalist Catie Rauhala’s voice is sweet and soft, but never feels out of place, instead meshing well with the rest of the band. Lyrically, the repeated, “I can’t seem to get a grip” repeats that uncertain feeling that “Feign” leaves you with, as You Never Were continue to explore themselves.
The darkness that looms in the background of “Feign” and even “Porcelain” is finally fully realized in the haunting, “What You Wanted.” Dissonant guitar chords settle easily alongside darker vocals, providing some diversity while still flowing well with the songs that come before it. While the first three songs really explore the band’s sound vocally, the fourth track, “Jealous” kicks off with some incredible drum and bass work before the guitar and vocals build on top of it. Each layer of this song is carefully crafted and easy to pick apart, making for a complex, but still stunning sound. In “Porcelain” where sometimes the drumming can feel a little out of place or too intense, it absolutely works on this track, really driving things forward.
The final two songs on Voyeur contrast well, making for a very well-rounded and solid sounding release. Much like “What You Wanted,” the second to last song, “Into My Web” is driven by haunting vocals, dark, complex guitar work and spectacular drums. Then “Soil” comes in and ends things on a bright note. Easily one of the strongest songs on the EP, “Soil” really allows each member to fully explore their abilities. While Rauhala’s showcases her full vocal range, ever changing guitar and bass work keep things moving forward, rounded out by possibly some of the best drumming on the album. As the song grows and becomes bigger, so do the instrumentals, which gives the song and EP a big, strong ending.
Despite flowing well and being very easy to listen to, Voyeur is also an incredibly complex release. If you’re listening to this EP for the first time, I urge you to just close your eyes and really listen to each part. Every song on the EP is carefully crafted, each instrument working together like a well-oiled machine to create six stunning songs that you won’t soon forget.
Rating: 4.5/5
Listen to “Jealous” or “Soil”
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