The emo movement has had something of a resurgence in recent years, seeing Orlando band Dearly Beloved raise their stature within the musical world of late. Their EP, Nova Roads, mixes together the emo scene with pure, classic punk rock, making for a fantastic overall mix of sounds!
By Jane Howkins
The EP kicks off in style with The Ballad Of Marcus & Maria, erupting with a great burst of energy from the very start. Huge punk rock riffs are the name of the game here, making it impossible not to love this song. The vocals have that typical pop-punk emo quality that we’ve all come to know and love, sounding particularly emotive on the explosive chorus. It’s a killer first track!
Sorry, I Was Dead is more of a punk song, keeping the tension raised throughout. The rhythm is fast, working well with the amazing guitar riffs that add so much texture to this piece. The song even includes some screaming sections in amongst the singing, appealing to those into their more hardcore emo music. It all sounds perfectly written, showing a band with some amazing songwriting skills.
Stuck (Again) starts out a little slower, definitely belonging more in the emo camp. The verses are fairly quiet, seeing the lead vocals croon their way around the music. The chorus takes things back up again, with the heavy riffs making for a nice dynamic change. The vocals are really on point here, oozing a sense of heartfelt emotion throughout the entire track.
Alright With Me (Not Really) is possibly the most punk song on the album, featuring a frantic rhythm with a colossal number of cymbals played on the drums. The bass is really prominent, creating a nice backbone to the track that’s interspersed well with the guitar riffs. The vocals are a little more aggressive, spitting the lyrics out perfectly – they even bring some rapping in at one point!
Jaded features some cool call and response vocals, with the shouted backing vocals aligning well. The song is infectiously catchy, combining both pop and punk well together. It’s impossible to listen to this song without wanting to tap your feet along, showing another reason why this band are so good – it’s one of my favourite songs on the EP!
Before You Go closes things out nicely, changing things up greatly. It’s an acoustic song, showcasing the vocals perfectly due to its understated nature. The track sounds really heartfelt, particularly on the chorus – you can really feel the emotion in the lyrics. The acoustic guitars flow in a lovely way, before the song turns into a heavy punk rock song towards the end, sounding like the culmination of Dearly Beloved’s previous efforts on this EP.
Nova Roads is a fantastic EP and one I’ll definitely be spinning in the future! There are a lot of bands out there at the moment trying their hand at the emo/pop-punk thing, but Dearly Beloved are one of the few acts doing it right!
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