Opening with the stunning Home, it’s an emotional acoustic track, showcasing the vocals Derek is revered for.
The layered vocals add a nice touch. It’s a simple song with a simple melody but it needs nothing more. The final minute of the song is just instrumentation but it is nice and relaxing.
With You on the Ground picks up the pace a little bit. While it remains an acoustic track, it’s a bit more angsty with more of an urgency in Derek’s vocals.
Mike Hanson provides guest vocals for the second verse.
True Story of the Boy Whose Exploits Panicked a Nation’s opening vocals with minimal instrumentation is haunting.
Howell Canyon switches things up a bit and is very reminiscent of Derek’s Mayday Parade work.
For Dear Life is the closing track on the EP and it features Jason Lancaster, one of my favourite vocalists. The track slows right down, talking about changing times. The dual vocals work well together in this emotional end to the EP. Around the mid-point the pair showcase their vocal ranges to bring the record to a stunning close.
Fans of Mayday Parade will not be surprised to enjoy this EP, but I think it will relate well to almost any listener.