reviews_MixtapesASCOSS

Mixtapes - A Short Collection Of Short Songs EP

Mixtapes

A Short Collection Of Short Songs EP

 

Formed after the death of singer Ryan Rockwell’s father, Ohio’s Mixtapes are far from the gloomy, morbid band they could be. In fact, the quartet’s material is possessed by an incredibly powerful positivity. While the five short songs on this short collection are haunted by a patent nostalgia for the past, rather than dwelling on grief they instead focus on the cheerier things in life—the things that make you feel better, not worse.

Mixing spiky indie hooks with pop-punk recklessness, Mixtapes channel old memories into a new sense of being. “Birthday Party Summer Camp (Hellloo Meggann)” is an optimistic opener that slowburns its way to a defiant crescendo before the dual boy-girl vocals of “The Real Hotel California” rush in with a blast of carefree, youthful abandon. “Soups Whateverz,” “Whit’s End” and the plaintive “Anna Maria” are gentle and sweet lullaby odes to years and tears gone by, although “I’m Like” ensures they’re broken up by a brief blast of raw, uptempo indie-punk.

While the songs on this EP flit between quiet contemplation and raucous rowdiness, they all offer the same sense of carpe diem. Within them, there’s a chance to relive the past in the present, and even the present as the past, through a nostalgia that’s positive and happy rather than reductive or destructive. You may not be able to hold on to the things and people you love forever, but this 7-inch makes you realize that you can always enjoy them.

Animal Style http://www.animalstylerecords.com

“Whit’s End”