Nural was originally formed by three friends in junior high in May of 2000. They started off as a ska band and then slowly developed a signature sound that is difficult to categorize. They successfully blend melodic hooks with raging riffs and odd time signatures to produce a sound all of their own. At the time of this EP Nural was not signed. They have recently been added to Hopeless Records and will release their first album this summer. That is why I am reviewing this.
Nural is
Kyle Castellani-Vocals
Ryan Davis-Guitar
Aaron Breding-Drums
Charley Hoy-Guitar
Kyle Black-Bass
Track by Track-
Crowded- 3:23-The opening track to the EP. This has some of the harshest sung vocals on the disc. And when I say harsh, I mean not really that harsh at all. The song starts with an effect that fades into drums and then bass. The guitar really doesn’t do anything special in this song, and sometimes Kyle spits out words together so it is hard to understand him. Just an average track. 2.5/5
I Told You So- 3:55-A mellow guitar leads into some almost spoken words by Kyle. The guitar continues to wrap itself around the melody throughout the song. The lyrics are about telling a girl that the guy she is seeing will be trouble and being right. Throughout the song, the drums create a mellow/creeping mood for the song. Better than crowded, but still not as good as they can achieve. 3/5
Live And Learn- 4:12-More guitar effects open up this song. They are followed by a dandy little guitar riff that is juxtaposed throughout the song. The song goes into lulls, with the guitar just slowing down and the drums keeping a slow rhythm. It will then go back into the chorus where things pick up. The opening riff is then repeated to close this song. 4/5
Spotlight- 4:16- I guess you can call this the ballad of the EP. Very slow and melodic. This song is about being able to continue after receiving criticism. The song continues the pattern until it reaches the solo. The solo gives it a much-needed color. 4/5
The Struggle Continues- 3:46-This song opens up with a riff reminiscent of Thunderstruck. The drums interrupt the riff. The vocals begin. The chorus to this song is pretty catchy. It even contains so OOHHHs. Throughout the verse, the bass carries the song. The opening riff is changed and repeated later to add a little flavor. 4/5
This is a decent EP. It got them their record deal. The drums hold together the songs well. It has been in my CD player for a while partially because it is quite catchy. I am looking forward to what they do on their Hopeless debut.
Overall Rating-3.5/5
