"Westward Expansion" by Companion
Rating: 3/5
After being around for about a year, Companion has accomplished quite a bit in the Dallas music scene--they have released a full-length album alongside 2 EPs, and toured with Gotee Records's indie rockers Abandon Kansas. In today's music industry, I think it would be appropriate to call Companion a successful Dallas band. With the recent release of their Westward Expansion EP, they have been busy playing regional shows with Abandon Kansas. They were kind enough to pass on their EP for me to review...here's what I got!
Westward Expansion opens up with a relaxed and airy song “Futures.” The music and vocal melodies are strategically and pleasingly structured, making it a strong opening track from start to finish. However, the lyrics leave something to be desired, exchanging thoughtfulness for rhymes: “Snakes are in the grass/And time's begun to pass/Our hearts are blown like glass.”
Next is a coffee-shop acoustic ballad “Always Be Lonely” expressing angsty philosophy on love, isolation, and finding one's self. Companion does a bit of soul-searching in this song, to which I recall The Used's "On My Own," but with a more prominent context of love. The guitar is sweet, but the song slows down the album considerably.
Westward Expansion's centerpiece is realized in the song “Tongues,” a rock-pop tune I hereby ordain for sunny days of any season. This one could easily become a crowd sing-along favorite with the “ah-oh-ooh-ooh's” sung throughout. The end of the song takes a surprising turn from heartbroken-but-happy to contemplative, which works out wonderfully. This song displays the songwriting structural strength of Companion, and exemplifies what I think listeners will want to hear more of.
The title track of the EP is another slow song apparently about love and materialism that doesn't hold much water due to lack of melodic creativity, considering its bare-bones form. It is a beautiful song that connotates crowd noise and coffee shops—but, like “Always Be Lonely,” would be better performed in that setting rather than listened to as a recording (respectively).
The EP closes out with the low-key good-riddance song “Where Are You Now,” comprised of somber keyboards and beautiful voice harmonies. For such an emotionally heavy song with a potential for an epic crescendo dynamic (see: "Some Will Seek Forgiveness..." by Underoath), it ends very abruptly with a length of 2:33, leaving the listener high and dry.
Westward Expansion has some very solid moments, but as a whole, lacks momentum and drive. While I can appreciate low-key and simpler songs, the ones that appear on this EP don't mesh well with the more solid songs, much like a sunny day turned rainy. On the flip side, I would keep Companion on the radar, considering their musical past; I predict they will continue working with their strengths as a whole and continue to make beautiful tunes. In a nutshell, if you like what you hear on Westward Expansion, check out their old stuff and wait patiently for the new!
The EP has strong detectable influences of Copeland, The Rocket Summer, Mae, and Sherwood, and would be definite recommended listening for fans of these fine groups. -CL
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You can catch Companion at The Door Plano on February 26!
Listen to Companion on MySpace.
Buy Westward Expansion on iTunes: http://bit.ly/8DK5VF
