Review Summary: Solid melodic pop punk, but unfortunately not groundbreaking
Like Pacific is a Canadian (Toronto, Ont) pop punk band that has released a number of EP’s in the past, but releasing their self-titled EP at the beginning of 2015 through Pure Noise Records proved to increase their popularity. Thus, they have now shown that they can incorporate modern melodic techniques with classic punk and hardcore elements, making for a pop punk release that is hard-hitting and catchy enough to be played on repeat.
This EP clocks in at around 12 and half minutes and is a total of 5 songs. This makes for a decent runtime, as nothing overstays its welcome. Production-wise, this EP sounds great, balancing a sound that is raw with the vocals, and the range of china, but utilizing clean sounding guitars to create a warm and melodic atmosphere. This atmosphere is countered by the lyrics, which tend to follow traditional emo roots, cycling around relationships and depression. These lyrics are delivered in typical pop-punk fashion; with catchy cleans and the occasional hardcore scream.
This self-titled EP definitely flows together in one listening well, as it starts with a quick opener, “Sigh of Relief”, that sums the band’s sound up very well, displaying d-beats coupled with a melodic lead to create a momentum that is carried throughout the rest of the EP. The middle of the EP is filled with much of the same, which is a small complaint, as the songs are very similar, but the short runtime makes for everything to still be enjoyable till the end. Originality is something that this EP does suffer from, because while it does sound good, it uses a melodic formula that has been done a number of times before. Songs like “Clarity” exemplify this, as it sounds very textbook pop punk, but it still retains some creative enjoyment from the excellent vocals. The closing song, “Suffering”, is my personal favorite song off of the EP, because it feels the most complete, bringing the punk elements to a close with a slow, melodic finale, all with emotional vocals overtop. It serves for a great closing to this release, as the EP starts fast and ends slow.
Like Pacific’s self-titled EP release on Pure Noise has given them some much deserved attention, as they are keeping the pop punk genre interesting. Their vocals make them stand out amongst bands that lean more on the pop side of pop punk, and they play with the same catchiness that people enjoy from the genre. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys pop punk in the vain of Daggermouth, Crucial Dudes, The Story So Far, or even Transit. Like Pacific has released a solid EP that is very true to melodic pop punk, but in doing so, coming slightly short on creating an original sound.
