’…four tracks of thoughtfully crafted and wonderfully performed emo…’
Based out of Long Island, MooseCreek Park are one of many bands that formed from the initial boredom and spare time of the COVID lockdowns. With plenty of time to hone their skills, the band found local popularity from both their live shows and their ‘Grumin’ demo. Last year, this was followed up by their debut record, ‘Hope This Clears Things Up’.
Not long after release, the band returned to the studio to record a further handful of tracks which would become this month’s release, ‘copy, paste’. This truly is the embodiment of an EP, existing as a great little collection of tracks that both satiates dedicated fans of the band between longer projects, and provides newcomers with a perfect little introduction into what the band is all about; you don’t need to know the MooseCreek Park lore to get enjoyment from these tracks.
The first half of this EP is comprised of the two lead singles from the record, ‘turnover’ and ‘sheep’. The former is a subdued affair, with subtle guitar work stepping back to let driving bass and percussion take centre stage, all beneath a softly melancholic vocal performance.
’sheep’, on the other hand, is a chaotic math rocked tinged affair, hurtling through multiple different phases despite its short run time. Huge pop punk choruses collide with complex, noodling riffs, whilst catchy lead melodies explode into scratchy screams with cathartic power.
It’s the back half, however, that contains the real gold of this project. The title track is lead by jangly acoustic guitar that is decorated by reverb soaked electric guitar, before transforming into a surprisingly cinematic yet restrained climax; a beautiful credits scroll at the end of the project, and a testament to a band who write with both heart and humanity.
‘copy, paste’ isn’t going to revolutionise the scene, but what it does is provide four tracks of thoughtfully crafted and wonderfully performed emo. It’s yet another release that shows that the fifth wave of emo is brilliantly alive with creative and passionate grassroots musicians.
If you’re a fan of anything from midwest to pop-punk adjacent emo, give MooseCreek Park a try; you might your new underground favourites.
RATING: 76/100 – Mostly Very Good
For Fans Of: saturdays at your place, Kerosene Heights, Stay Inside, Origami Angel, Home is Where
Physical copies of the EP are available to purchase here.
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