Tonight Alive

Consider This

Jenna McDougall - Vocals
Jake Hardy - Guitar
Whakaio - Guitar / Vocals
Cam Adler - Bass
Matt Best- Drums

            I love every time I get to head over to Australia. Okay, I never have been there in person yet, but when I get a chance to hear new music from down under I jump on it. This time we will dive into a 5 track EP that is gearing the band up for a full length release here in the US in 2012. Tonight Alive began with guitarist Whakaio and his buddy Cam Adler. They were trying to find a frontman for their rock band when Jenna entered the picture. The idea of a frontman was scraped, and the frontwoman was placed at the helm instead. Jake Hardy and Matt Best rounded out the new band which clicked from the very first jam. They played live performances all over and released two EPs, one being this one. They have continued on with a date for their full length release as I mentioned before, but we are going to dive into a little taste. The album begins with “Wasting Away” which gets the album going in the right direction. The vocals are great flooding from Jenna’s mouth as the music in the background hammer home some great sounds. She has a great sound to her voice that delivers the lyrics in a way you can’t ignore. The music could step it up just a bit more. They are over powered by Jenna. They do get going a little bit during the chorus, but the verses they funnel back into the background. The progression of the song is good and the transitions are fairly clean. “Five Years” slows the album down a little bit. The intro crawls along before they kick it into another gear. The track has a nice vibe to it and I think it displays enough energy in it that it would do good live as well. The track has a nice vibe and should be a favorite of fans. “My Favourite Thing” is much in line with the last tune more than the first in my opinion. You can really hear the pop side of the band come to live in this offering. They have the traditional “ooos” laid throughout the track. It has a nice fluffy sound to it and it should get your feet dancing around. “Revenge and Its Thrills” steps up next and puts on a display of some of the range that Jenna has. She hits some high notes while she rips through some lyrics. The music around those vocals are easy to get into. The guitars seem to hit all the right notes in this one although they didn’t get very much time to star. The drums also don't get much spotlight, but do a great job during certain points in the track. “Invincible” concludes the album. The track is fresh and fun. I can see a lot of people getting into this one and it may be the track from this album that does some work. This one I was able to get into and enjoy more over the other four. It seems to have everything going for it. Overall I enjoyed this brief glace at this up and coming band. I would like to hear more zest in the full length album. On this album the vocals are solid. They are the most consistent of the elements. They control the stage and the spotlight is on them. The music is in the back ground nearly the entire time and that needs to be changed. A bit more guitars and some more drums will let the album have more power and surprises. After hearing these 5 tracks I can’t wait for the LP titled What Are You So Scared Of?. Im sure we will have that review too, so just check out what they have now and keep your pants on for the main full length feature.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Tracks to Watch:

Track List:

1. Wasting Away
2. Five Years
3. My Favourite Thing
4. Revenge and Its Thrills
5. Invincible

Website (s):  www.tonightaliveofficial.com