Modern Rivals: Sea Legs EP
Modern Rivals: Sea Legs EP – Modern Rivals is one of those bands that sneak up out of nowhere and slowly seduce you, leaving you wondering how you ever had hoped to live without them. Mickey, Andrew, Alex, Alex, and Eric have been playing together in some form since they were in middle school. With their latest release, the Sea Legs EP, they really hit their stride. Through its complex rhythms and unmatched lyrics their genuine connectivity can be felt. This EP will leave you reeling for more while counting the days until their full length album debut in early 2013. Modern Rivals recorded Sea Legs themselves, and perfected it with master mixing by Chris Coady, and after their first self titled EP, released in March of 2010, it is clear that Modern Rivals have great things in store.
‘Defenestrate You,’ kicks off the Sea Legs EP and is also the first single to drop from the EP. This cheeky, upbeat song is at heart actually a breakup song. With its quirky lyrics and catchy melody, it seamlessly disguises the heartache and disdain that is usually associated with wanting to throw someone out of the window. The EP proceeds with ‘Clocks vs. Darts,’ the best song on the Sea Legs EP. The eccentric melodies culminate in a sing-songy bridge that brings the song to its pinnacle. ‘Small Bells’ gently takes your hand and leads you to a place above the chaos and commotion of the world. Floating amongst the pensive lyrics incorporated with soothing melodies creates the illusion of a whimsical dream: “my heads ringing now, I know this sound and I’m flying back to it, recognize the breathing, small bells sees me, I swear I say you’re still sleeping, you see my voice.” Album ender, ‘Riku,’ is hypnotic. It maintains the day-dreamy feel of the previous three songs, and also devises a perfect ending “here’s where we stop, here’s where we go.” If Modern Rivals full length is anywhere close to the caliber of the Sea Legs EP, 2013 can not come soon enough…9/10