Album: Valdosta - EP
Artist: Mayday Parade
Release: 2011
Tracks: 6
Valdosta, fourth release and second EP since the beginning of Mayday Parade, has fans sitting on edge with a return down memory lane to a style slightly reminiscent of their first EP, Tales Told By Dead Friends. With four songs to its name, this EP includes two new songs and four re-recordings of older songs, one from their first EP, one from their first full length, A Lesson In Romantics, and two from their 2009 release, Anywhere But Here. Featuring Derek Sanders as leading vocalist and keyboardist, Jake Bundrick as drummer and second vocalist, Alex Garcia as lead guitarist, Brooks Betts as rhythm guitarist, and Jeremy Lenzo as bass guitarist, Valdosta leaves no area uncharted in its songs.
Valdosta begins with the new track "Amber Lynn", a song that uses acoustic guitars to drive the meaning behind the words home, with strings to wrap up the song nicely. With a sound that presents itself as complex yet simple, the vocals and guitar support each other perfectly, building up at just the right moments, only to dip down seconds later to provide a smooth sound. "Jamie All Over", the first re-recorded song on the EP, presents an acoustic version of one of their most popular songs from what was known as the "Lancaster era", the time before their co-lead vocalist moved on to form another band. Reworked to have a similar feel to the original song, this reworked track allows Bundrick's vocal skills to shine where he takes the second vocal set in the song. With group vocals punctuating the bridge, and the individual guitar parts shining throughout the entire song, this version provides a fresh feel to an already loved song. The next track, "Kids In Love", was originally from their 2009 release, and with the first version of the track already well known, this version presented a new sound. With guitar parts that push the song forward and support the vocals while keeping the timing, as well as keyboards that punctuate the guitar leads that occur throughout the song, this song is a smooth reworking of the original. "Your Song", from Mayday Parade's first EP, is a complete reworking of the original, with keyboards replacing the guitars that originally strummed out the melody. However, a softer version of the original, this new version does not disappoint, with the keyboards supporting the vocals yet allowing them to dance around the chords, especially during the chorus, and then joined by a strings that play beautiful counterparts to each other. Strings and guitars work their magic in the next track, "Bruised and Scarred" (also off of the 2009 release) to bring a new feeling to the song while keeping the original sound. The guitar lead played over the verse cuts through nicely to give a slight variation from the strings, which later rejoin the guitars in the chorus and bridge throughout the end of the song, finishing it on a note that almost seems to linger between somber and longing. The last song of the EP, "Terrible Things", is also a new song from Mayday Parade, with the melody being carried by the keyboard throughout the song. What seems to be a somber song about a father talking to his son about love through his experiences soon takes an unexpected turn, accented by the rest of the band joining in for the bridge and remainder of the song as the emotion of the song increases. This track ends the EP perfectly, leaving fans wondering what will come next.
With Valdosta brining in new songs and old songs alike, the feeling that permeates the EP is one of new beginnings for the band and their style of music. Although the reworked old songs have their own charm and talent to them, most can agree that nothing can ever replace the original tracks. However, this EP and all of its components send a message to fans of Mayday Parade that most people will probably overlook, and as much as I hate to bring up old issues about the band, the truth is that even with one less member than when they started, Mayday Parade is still carrying on loud and strong. They came through with a new style in their 2009 release, straying quite a ways from their original sound for the most part, which seemed to be waving a warning flag to fans that Mayday Parade was heading downhill from their success with their first album. However, they proved everyone wrong with this release, and I hope they continue to do so. So let Valdosta be the EP you listen to after this review. It just may be worth your time.
