The Wedding is pretty competent when it comes to crafting punky, guitar-heavy, radio-ready ditties – this they prove definitively on "Receive," the very first track of their new five-song EP, The Sound the Steel. They prove it again on the even-catchier "Return" (yes, all five song titles are two-syllable words with "re" as the prefix). And yet again on the angry "Reveal," which boasts some pretty bad-ass guitar riffing. Hopefully, though, the band just writes these kinds of songs to keep its label happy, because it doesn't truly shine until the pianos kick in: "Renew" and especially "Redeem" are two of the best rock ballads in a long time.
The former is the more radio-playable, with its soft intro turning quickly into a driving verse, which eventually morphs into a soaring chorus. The lyrics aren't Shakespeare, but they're not bad, either: "I'm not brave enough to conquer love / But you're giving me some hope." By the time the cheesy key change comes around, it's readily forgivable.
"Redeem," though, is easily the band's masterpiece. The aching melody, gentle strings, and dense bed of piano notes – punctuated by the occasional staccato chord – give the track a classic quality, and like "Renew" it uses drums and guitars to build tension, only to become quiet again.
If these guys have it in them to drop the mindless pop tunes and become the Queen of punk, they should do it.
