Almost Enemies’ EP Circles was released nearly a year to the day that I write this. Yet, I had not heard the EP until about a month ago, and it is an EP I should have heard a long, long time ago, since it is right up my alley with catchy, mesmerizing rock-n-roll!
Almost Enemies is a pop-punk band from St. Joseph, Missouri. The EP features Jake “Floyd” Wright on vocals and rhythm guitar, Levi Sapp on lead guitar, Tony McCrorey on bass guitar, and Kyle Culp on drums.
The band’s sound is immediately charged with a powerful energy once the listener hits the PLAY button. Their sound appears to be influenced by the late 90s hard rock movement and early 2000s power-punk movement. Almost Enemies rises from some time portal in-between those times, yet their sound is still fresh.
The EP kicks off with a track called “Drowning”. Instantly, it soars with a quick tempo, driving guitar, and a free-falling energy that launches from the track. The listener is immediately, without hesitation or wasted time, thrown into the sound of the band: fast-paced rock-n-roll that needs to be played at a loud volume. It would be insulting to not play this EP at a high volume.
“Kingdoms” resumes the energy build. Something that stands out about this band to me is the intriguing vocals and the story that the lyrics tell. The band, even with just four tracks, has a distinctive sound of energetic pop-punk composed of driving instrumentals and unique but still engaging vocals. Everything sounds confident and deliberate; everything on these tracks has a purpose, whether it is a dynamic change or an interlude into a guitar solo. Yet, it is not predictable.
“Chasing Dreams” may be my favorite from the EP. The lyrics are full of nostalgia and a wondering possibility of what could happen next. At its simplest, it is catchy rock; within the context of the EP, the music shifts a bit to not be as in-your-face, but the hypnosis does not waver. As a middle track, it would still make a great standalone track with the powerful drums and vocals.
The concluding track is also the title track. “Circles” is another track that instantly grabs the listener with the energy. The track is an ode to a repetitively troubled relationship and the following frustration as a result. Opening with a bass guitar intro, “Circles” is just as catchy as the prior three songs but also builds upon a future promise for the band.
Circles by Almost Enemies forms a foundation for the band of catchy pop-punk, energy-fused rock-n-roll. With catchy guitars, intriguing vocals, powerful drums, and driving bass, there is not a weak link present. It is almost disappointing that this EP only has four tracks, as I would love to hear what Almost Enemies would sound like in a longer format. Nevertheless, in this shorter format of an EP, Almost Enemies wastes no time to establish themselves as a high energy band who knows how to write catchy tracks that will get stuck in the listener’s head on the very first listen – but also include substance in this tracks that will make the listener return again and again just for the sheer enjoyment of the music.