Reliance EXCLUSIVE debut EP review + Interview

UPDATE: due to some file discrepancies, this review was completed with the wrong impression of track order, please note the track order for the EP is different than the information below.

Band: Reliance

EP: Self Titled(Debut)

Hometown: Orange County, CA

Members/Positions:

Thomas Meints - Vocals Jordan Soto - Drums Matthew Eagle - Guitar Tyler Diederichsen - Guitar

I first discovered Reliance shuffling through "The Scene" Spotify playlist. "Lucid" is the song and I automatically fall in love. I exit Spotify to add their collection to my Apple Music playlists, only to find "Lucid" was their only release. So I search Facebook and find their page. I saw they had a music video out, so I peeped it. I was blown away at how substantial in quality, yet low budget this video was, and moreso how great it fit along with the song. At that moment, they had a whopping 379 followers(Currently: 389). How is this amazing band with an awesome single and music video not crazy popular? Well, such is life sometimes in this 2019 music scene. Some of the best bands get overlooked and some of the least substantial music gets frontlined, an unfortunate truth. Well, not this time. I reached out to the band and asked for an exclusive listen to their upcoming self titled EP and an interview.

Lets dive in, shall we?

The EP is eponymous and contains 5 tracks.

1. "Banshee"

My favorite vehicle in Halo 3 and also the first track on the EP. If, like me, before this the only song by Reliance you were familiar with is "Lucid," then, also like me, you are instantly shocked by how hard they come in their record from the jump. This song bent the sonic box I wrongly, initially placed this band into. This opening song slaps the hardest, plain and simple. The rest of the album rocks and has heavy elements, but this is by far sonically the hardest song they have, and its SO good. It perfectly blends hardcore instrumentals with refined clean vocals.

Favorite Lyrics:

"There is this ghost that hasn't let me sleep a single night...I watched my world crumble in front of me...Now my nostalgia gets the best of me, leave me to my suffering...Nostalgia that no human here could bear...there isn't that much left of me

2. "Citadel"

Instant earworm. From the opening guitar riff, to the opening vocal verse. Meints really displays his vocal range in this one. His clean vocals in this song are very high pitched and in your face yet no trace of whine, which is personally a dealbreaker for me. I cant stand a bad whiner, and his cleans are the opposite of that. Add to the fact that he also does the screams, the vocal talent seeps deep in this song. Way too catchy.

Favorite Lyrics: "But i'm still trying to stop tossing in my sleep...So desolate and dry .. Among the dust in the room..Till I forget my given name

3. "Fragile Skin"

This track starts off a little darker in tone, and lets the instruments take the forefront at first. Meints comes in with vocals of the same style of the previous song, then switches to a lower yet near perfect tone. Mids: awesome. Lows: great. The guitars harmonize for the final hook and its extremely soothing.

Favorite Lyrics: "You think by now id finally have it figured out that i'm better on my own..I lose control of it all so you should go.. In a fragile skin... i'm more broken now than I've ever been. .A bed of nails around my skin...I'm afraid i'm getting nowhere.

4. "Glass Castle

They are releasing a music video with this song to accompany the EP release. This song isn't bad by any means, but if I could pick a song to do a music video to, it would probably be literally any of the other ones on this EP. We'll see what happens with that. its a good song, nowhere near as catchy, or hard, or vocally appealing as the other ones, but good. I really like the substantiality of the panning of the guitars for the breakdown. Well done.

Favorite Lyrics:

"Until you hear me say....I could go all day...in due time...i know exactly who you were.."

5. "Lucid"

The "staple song." Their single with the dope video accompaniment. Do not sleep on this track. It was put on The Scene official Spotify playlist for a reason it is versatile, and goes hard, and in the same justice is a very clean vocal driven song. And the screaming parts still go really hard. Well written, sounds like it's remastered for the EP. This is one of those songs you can listen to on repeat, hear it every day for weeks and not get tired of it one bit(I know I haven't). Great track.

Favorite Lyrics: "A sigh of relief...Spoke a lesson that I'll carry to my grave, I'm not the same as once before...If I could stay inside this lucid dream, where everything is exactly as it seems....Just because I'm done doesn't mean you're alone....Can't thank you enough for all of your time.

Interview:

Saucewithspoons: "Describe the recording process of your debut EP."

Tyler: "The recording process was interesting for us. This E.P. is our first full release as a band and it was cool to see how everything came together. You always have an idea of how the songs will be, but its great seeing how they can change for the better. It was super easy working with Eric Mata on these songs. He had some great insight and fit really well with our general workflow as a band. Every day in the studio was one day closer to sharing our music."

Saucewithspoons: "For those who don't know who you are, tell us a little about your band and background."

Tyler: "Reliance started out as Thomas’(vocals) solo project. He reached out to myself(Tyler) and Jordan(drums), to help flesh out some of his ideas. Once we felt like this could be more than a solo project, we reached out to Matt to join on guitar. We had all known Matt prior to the band and knew him to be a great player as well as a great guy to be around so it was an easy choice to bring him in. From then on, it was just trying to write music that we were proud of."

Saucewithspoons: "If your band was trapped on a desert island and, amongst yourselves you could only bring 3 records with you to listen to for the rest of your lives, what would they be"

Tyler: "If we were stranded on a desert island, we would have to pick Define the Great Line by Underoath, In Love and Death by The Used, and Good Apollo I’m Burning Star Four by Coheed and Cambria as the three albums we would take with us."

EP/Band Sauce Report:

4.5/5

Yes, that good. Theres so many variables as to what makes this a great EP, aside from the fact that it sounds great. The overall versatility of the instruments and the vocalist, their cohesion in idea and concept, the substantiality of the mix and master, the whole package was really solid. I'm really exited to see the music video, despite the fact its not my favorite song choice. This is a band that you need to check out, now. Add them on everything, links below.

PS: I spoke with one of the band members and they are gonna be doing a few shows in the late summer, would yall like to see them play in the Carolina area? If enough of you let us know at Saucewithspoons@yahoo.com and on our Facebook and Instagram pages, that would be amazing, because your dreams might just come true.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1ZNOjoKJyiPNq5OAKFTj8y?si=2njJ-UdkQuim9ZGeqHSQVw Apple Music: http://itunes.apple.com/album/id/1451669049

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lucid-single/1451669049

Youtube Music: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=XknSwrRAOWg&feature=share

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Reliance_Lucid?id=Bxdwvueimxq2a5f3kfrh6pvvzeu&hl=en

Definitely check them out, and also make sure to give us a like/folllow/sub if you already haven't @saucewithspoons on all social media and Apple Music.

Too much sauce.