Review Summary: A new direction for The New Up delivers promising results.
From what I've heard of The New Up's back catalogue – that is, parts of a single studio album and a couple EPs – they had something intriguing going on. As far as dream pop goes, the songs were fairly standard, yet they were quite promising all the same. But what I'm trying to figure out right now is what happened between last year's
Broken Machine and
Better Off. There are traces of the band's past material, of course, but much of Better Off sees The New Up taking on a new direction. Considering the parallels they had with other likeminded acts, the change is a welcome, albeit confusing one.
Though
Better Off leaves behind the dreamy sound of past recordings, it isn't immediately clear where The New Up is headed. The bombastic "Dear Life" opens the EP in the most misleading of ways; the riffs are crunchy and dominant, ES Pitcher's soaring singing style is lively and distinct, and the hooks are as catchy as anything the band has ever done. Even with the mellow bridge that cuts in half way through, the song carries a far more heavy rock oriented flavour only hinted at in songs like "Arkansas". However, "Better Off" tones everything down a great deal. Though still undoubtedly a rock song, The New Up discards the anthemic elements of "Dear Life" in favour of a subdued, mid-paced sound which sees flutist Hawk West enjoy a far more important role. While perhaps not as immediately memorable as "Dear Life", or even the instrumental section of "Bitch", which sees The New Up incorporate
Better Off's heaviest riffs and an absolutely blistering guitar solo, the title track is the strongest track on the album; Pitcher trades in her sultry vocal melodies for a powerful performance more reminiscent of Metric's Emily Haines, and the flute/guitar tandem works out surprisingly well.
Although
Better Off is all over the place stylistically – "Wait" is a piano ballad and "Fuc
k You Roger (Until Further Notice)" takes influence from classic rock – The New Up manages to maintain a recognizable cohesiveness through the EP. If The New Up has accomplished anything with
Better Off, they've carved out their own little niche. They may not of have fully fleshed out their identity, but in crafting their own, distinct sound, The New Up have completely separated themselves from their peers. The second in a series of three EPs, the final of which is prepping for a 2010 release,
Better Off is as promising as it is entertaining. And it is damn entertaining.
