Review Summary: A review over Lorene Drive's "Out Alive" EP after releasing their debut album.
Releasing their debut album, “Romantic Wealth”, back in the summer of 2005 Lorene Drive returns with a successor. The “Out Alive” EP was released in early 2008 again under their label Lobster Records. Consisting of five tracks the EP keeps to the same ideas as the album but comes with a lighter sound. However Lorene Drive pulls it off very nicely.
Again the main issues being trouble with love and trusting others. Daniel Murillo again wows the listener with his amazing vocals and the rest of the band bringing good instrumentals. What makes the EP lighter than the album is the absence of Murillo’s unclean vocals, but now makes up for with it by improving his vocal range. Able to hit more higher notes than the tracks featured on “Romantic Wealth”. The song “I’m the Most Terrific Liar You Ever Seen In Your Life” shows at the final part where Murillo hits a high note to end the track.
The band has also improved lyrically. The lyrics still hold the basic message as the other tracks they are more clever, especially the choruses. The song “Out Alive” keeps to the “troubled” theme of their music. Disturbed by the fact that no one had shown or told the singer how to make it “out alive” of a situation. This song had show these improvements in lyrics, less cliche and more original to say the least.
To go with love and troubled they also decide to bring the topic of culture into their music. The song “Second Nature” has an odd sound from the rest of the EP. Telling the person that no one cares about their image and that they've sold out their culture. The song could throw off the listener because it’s less a post-hardcore song and more a song of protest.
Setting a high bar after releasing their album it can be seen why this hadn't lived up what a lot of fans were expecting. Regrettably missing Murillo’s unclean vocals. However they have shown improvement with Murillo’s vocals and lyrical abilities. If they release anything in the future hopefully they can keep those two aspects and merge them with the sound of “Romantic Wealth” and create a excellent sophomore album.
