RECENT RELEASE

Crowns, from Nashville have been proliferating a heavy hitting brand of indie rock rather quietly for awhile, it seems. The Inside EP is their latest endeavor, set to hit this Thanksgiving.

So, if you need something to balance out that tryptophan-induced sleepiness the song “Inside” might be good idea to help you wake up. It’s got the groove and loudness to keep you alert, but isn’t so heavy-hitting that you’ll switch to another song in annoyance if you’re in a mellow mood.

“Bend and Break” continues the vibe with some guitar tones that make me think of Number One Gun (look up the album Promises of the Imperfect if that reference is lost to you). Powerful vocals stand out over the loud guitarwork and the song hits an early climax around the three minute mark before some quiet synths remind us what the softer side of Crowns is like.

“Where Have You Been” is the most urgent song of the EP so far, with some drum-work leading us in that seems to recall an older Thrice song. The song quickly comes back to Earth with some rolling keys that serve as a nice lull between hard-hitting choruses. The song has a sense of honesty that stands out amidst the upbeat melodies as they ask “Do you feel forgotten? Some days I do” in the bridge.

“The Things You Said” brings the EP to a close with what is my personal favorite melody on the record. Anyone that likes bands like Least of These, My Epic, and later Thrice would do themselves well to check out this album and perhaps start with this song, counterintuitive as beginning with the final song on a release maybe.

Crowns has had the endorsement of several groups to grace Tuned Up over the years and we hereby add our endorsement to that list! Thanks to groups like Harper, Kingfishers, Mountains Like Wax for keeping this group in my consciousness.

– TUNED UP