Title: Trip The Light EPGenre: Indie RockWeb site: melbatoastmusic.comLocation: Greenville, Texas
Enjoy the musical flavor of Melba Toast. It may be crunchy on the outside but deep down lies the soft interworkings of something greater and meaningful.
If one had to pigeonhole the up-and-coming Greenville quartet’s latest release, it would be a hybrid between Tom Petty and Creedence Clearwater Revival, sprinkled with modern rockers Built to Spill and My Morning Jacket, to form a tasty treat for your ears to dine on.
Trip The Light is well produced and cleanly mastered, the songs are well written, and the performances are solid. The band shows signs of maturity from their self-titled release, not only in quality but in a sense of identity.
“Screwball,” the opening track introduces with warm guitars and raw emotion, interlaced with soft harmonies in the chorus. This is a far cry from their self-titled opening track “Check Yr Head.”
The stand-out track on the EP “Icy Sleep,” feature powerful vocals and a definite kick, a welcomed change from the other tracks recorded.
“Yellowbelly,” is a newer track and change of pace for the band. One could describe it as a southern rock melody that likens to an old Petty arrangement, but with a modern twist, and Mixson’s melodic voice.
Perhaps the catchiest cut on the recording is “New Junk,” with the chorus line: “I’m alone right in your car/Drive my heart down in the dark/Shut my eyes and wait for dawn.” and a toe-tapping rhythm to boot.
In the final track, the bands creative versatility and musical proficiency show in the mellow love song “City Life.”
Trip The Light is an accurate representation of where Melba Toast is heading – and the destination is definitely not bland or tasteless.
Produced by John Kent Engineered by John Kent and Randy Fuller at the Vault Studio, Celeste, TexasMastered by Jerry Tubbs at Terra Nova