Love Letters from the August Society is billed as an EP, but at over 32 minutes in length, it is more like two EPs put together, with very different sounds. The first four songs on the disc from this post-punk/indie band are actually from an earlier CD that was never released due to legal problems.
The second half of the disc is slightly newer material, with a new band member. Unfortunately the first half pales in comparison to the second half. The first four songs suffer from poor production, and are very reminiscent of bands like Green Day and MxPx, and more recent bands like Get Up Kids and Good Charlotte. In fact, the first two songs, "Sunshines, and I Don't Care" and "Save My Seat" sound almost like the same song. The third song, "Rikki, By the Way," is slower and more melodic, and is the best song of the first batch.
The second half of the CD, features new keyboardist Jesse Keenan, formerly of the Pink Daffodils, and his contribution to the band brings out a whole new sound (though the final two songs are merely remixed versions of the first two, but they are an improvement). Standouts include "Jesse Loves Becky," "Do You Remember Sometimes," and "Rockslide." These songs still have some of the previously mentioned influences, but are a bit closer to bands like The Juliana Theory, which bodes well for the band. In fact, this disc on Salad Dressing Records is merely a prelude to their upcoming full-length release, Hope For a Brighter Future on The Militia Group in September, so hopefully there will be an even more mature sound on that disc, and, dare I say it, a brighter future.
2.5 tocks
