Atmospheric rock outfit State To State released their latest EP Motives which showcases the bands polished and haunting sound. While the tracks here are clearly products of a fine tuned and talented group of musicians, they don’t offer much originality or much of a greatness factor.
The EP starts strong with songs “My Little Phony” and “Arms”. Both tracks feature captivating lead guitar lines that catch your ear and draw you in to the lackadaisical and eerie tone that this band harnesses so well. “My Little Phony” is easily the catchiest song on the EP with its upbeat, rhythmic verses and floating, harmony filled choruses. “Arms” is slower and more soulful, but just as enthralling.
Motives hits its weak spot with the two middle tracks “Let Go” and “Kings”. Neither track warrants any desire to repeat or listen deeper. There is nothing catching or interesting, and it feels like they don’t offer much following such ear grabbing tracks. These songs feel like filler, and when putting together only a five song EP, having filler tracks can really hinder the overall quality.
State To State bring it back up on a high note, though, with the final song “Pins and Needles”. The song starts of gentle and subtle, allowing the vocalist to show off his effortless ability to be both gruff and soft. His falsetto in the chorus is particularly lovely. With a quiet start, the song crescendos midway into a more static and noisy, but powerful, finale.
Overall Motives is full of pleasant and slickly produced tracks. What makes this release good rather than great, though, is that there is something about it that feels done before and ultimately the listening experience becomes a bit underwhelming.
Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Recommended Tracks: “My Little Phony” and “Pins and Needles”
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