The independent Massachusetts rock/indie-folk band, The Gallery, consisting of the foursome, Brendan Cooney (lead vocals/guitar), Ryan Cooney (drums), Dave Mozdzanowski (bass/bg vocals) and Shea Brennan (lead guitar) have maintained their hometown fan base in New England, while building a similar audience in Southern Florida, where they resided for three years. In 2009, the band set out on the road for their first national tour. Since then, they’ve expanded their following across the country with their southern flavored sound, performing with well known acts from Rooney to We the Kings.
This fall, the band recorded five new songs with producer Warren Huart (The Fray, Augustana, Hot Hot Heat) at Swing House Studios in Hollywood. While the band has always created hook-laden rocks songs with guitar-driven, southern-infused pop rock sound, this new EP reveals a band expanding and perfecting its sound with lyrical maturity beyond their years.
The record kicks off with “Catalyst,” the standout track, with its catchy hooks and lyrics that immediately grab a hold of you and have you singing along. This surprisingly upbeat song despite the lyrical content about the end of a relationship (“You were the one who put a spark to this/ You were the gasoline, you were the catalyst”) highlight The Gallery’s talent and sets up the audience for an enjoyable ride.
The second track,”Ballroom Of Broken Hearts”, opens with an ominous guitar riff, introduces pounding drums, and then fades into a softer and beautifully sung chorus. Complete with an acoustic guitar, this track is far from forgettable with relatable although slightly darker lyrics about the hardships of finding love (“She felt the fire but the fire never burned hot enough/ Her heart is covered in dust”).
The middle track, “Who’s In The Right”, is a slower track with superb instrumentation that highlights all members of the bands true talents. This track is one where the entire band shines and also proves to be
the most thought provoking and somber track on the EP, as it deals with the serious subject of war time (“We’ll drop bombs all day and night/To show who’s in the wrong and who’s in the right”).
“Last Goodbye” starts off with a great guitar intro that leads into excellent lyrics which eventually culminate into a powerful chorus. This song also feels surprisingly upbeat despite the darker tone of the lyrics about the end of a relationship, an ongoing theme on this EP. This song is similar to “Catalyst” in tone, content, and structure but has more of southern sound versus the poppier feel of the first track.
The closer, “Free,” is upbeat and uplifting with music that is subtle, helping to make the vocals shine. This last track is a departure from the majority of songs on the album about lost love and failing relationships and instead sings about a beautiful day.
Overall this EP might only be 5 songs long but Come Alive is definitely one you should check out. From the catchy hooks of “Catalyst” to the thought-provoking lyrics of “Who’s in the Right” to the haunting melodies of “Ballroom of Broken Hearts,” these new tracks reveal a great new band to take notice of as Rolling Stone magazine has in its “Do You Wanna be a Rock &Roll Star?” contest. If you like discovering new bands before your friends, be sure to check them out now as they are sure to be hitting the airwaves and possibly a rolling stone cover in the very near future.
For more information on The Gallery check out their official website, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter pages. Get their EP Come Alive now on iTunes!
I’m also curious about it! The Gallery’s “Come Alive” is absolutely something inimitable in music! i downloded their album comparatively not long ago from http://www.torrentoff.com! I think this band has the future of the Rolling Stones and hope, they will be able to surprise us!
this is definitely one of the best EP’s of 2011 – can’t wait to hear what the band does next!