Album Review: Your Favorite Disaster by Reason 837
Artist: Reason 837
Album: Your Favorite Disaster (2009)
Genre: Pop-Punk
Location: Western Massachusetts
Social Networking:
Myspace: Myspace.com/reason837
Purevolume: purevolume.com/reason837
For fans of: Blink 182, New Found Glory, Sum 41, Driving East, Take Cover
Inspired by pop-punk giants Blink-182 and New Found Glory, Massachusetts’s Reason 837 has combined the best characteristics of this genre, which is often wronged and seemingly mass-produced in today’s music scene. The band has crafted an amazing sound by mastering all aspects of song-writing. The result: “Your Favorite Disaster”.
Your Favorite Disaster is the band’s debut EP, boasting five well-crafted songs. Each of the album’s songs fade into one another, which adds an interesting touch, as well as a sense that the band has worked to create more of a story than merely an album. Produced by the band and Tim Lynch, the EP covers everything that a good album should: anger, a little heartbreak, some remorse, and melodies that cease to impress.
One of the best things about Reason 837’s EP is their instrumentation, which they essentially have down to perfection. Its undeniable, as it is seen at the first seconds of the album’s opener. The precision of the quartet, Brian Gwozdz, Justin Burdick, Damian McCartney, and Mike Weissman, may lead you to believe that you may have put in a Blink 182 CD by mistake. Though the influence is very much evident, Reason 837 is anything but a cop out. The EP shows the band’s ability to take their inspirations and turn it into something powerful could counter any doubt of the band’s originality. “Take Cover”, the second track, is a melodic ballad, carrying with it a pop-punk punch, achieved by the band’s instrumentation and the vocal work. Tracks such as “Down For The Count”, wherein vocalist/bassist Gwozdz says “I don’t want to know the details. I don’t want to think about your sleepless nights in someone else’s bed”, may provoke you to move your limbs violently, and in my case almost get in a massive car accident. If a band can do that from Track 1, you know they’ve done their job.
I can’t end this review without giving kudos to Tim Lynch and Rick Sullivan, who recorded and mixed the EP, providing the amazing sound quality of “Your Favorite Disaster”.
You can only expect Reason 837 to do great things in the future, and I’m fairly positive that word of their talent will reach you. I am completely positive, however, that you will be impressed by Reason 837, and your interest will never waiver in between track 1 and the album’s perfect closer, “Matchless”. I cannot reiterate this enough. In case talent alone won’t do it for you, the EP’s album artwork by Juluan Volyn is pretty sick. If that’s not reason enough for you to buy this, I don’t know what is.
“Your Favortie Disaster” is available on iTunes. Keep up with the band via myspace and other affiliated networking sites, and be sure to catch them while they’re on the road.
