Here we have the debut EP from Portland's Water & Bodies, a quartet of light piano/guitar indie rockers. Their brand of music bridges that gap between what you listen to and what your mom listens to (on the light mix station at work), so be forewarned right off the bat: this is not something that rocks. In fact, all six of these tracks could have been written by any post-Keane/Coldplay/adult-contemporary-light rock band out there right now. Having said that, there are some specific enjoyable moments on the disc. "Free World" has a nice groove to it that sounds like it could have come from Arcade Fire's Funeral, and it's the EP's finest moment. The listener would hope Water & Bodies moves in this direction in recording their full-length, as it suits them well. But at the same time the Portugal. The Man vocals that cover the groove take you right out of it; Christopher Ruff has not yet grown into a distinguished vocalist (hint – don't go for such a high register.)
This EP will be a hit-or-miss, split straight down the middle. It's by no means awful, but it's by no means good either. Water & Bodies are a new group looking to find their sound, and as such, this EP is a foot in the door. We'll have to see what they follow it up with – hopefully something a bit more ambitious.
Tracklist:
01. Something I Can Grasp
02. Animals
03. Celebration Song
04. Free World
05. Written and Read
06. Naked In The Rain
You Might Like: Portugal. The Man, Wolftron, Coldplay
