THE BRANCHES EP

Having come to my attention last year with their tour-de-force 'Act III: Life & Death,' the Dear Hunter has since become one of my favourite modern bands. Imagine my excitement when I heard there was some fresh material from these guys for listening. Despite the fact that this is a short EP (clocking in at almost twelve minutes, with three tracks) 'The Branches EP' has impressed me, and given me a night of beautiful fresh music to dive into.

Being recorded and released to members of the band's fan club exclusively, 'Branches' has subsequently been leaked onto the internet. The songs here sound like they could have easily been highlights from 'Life & Death,' although there is definately more of an indie sound (akin to that of the Arcade Fire) on this EP.

Each of the songs has it's own unique feel to it. The opener 'B. Linus' is probably the most typical Dear Hunter track. It starts out very much like an alternative rock song, except with a bit of a rhythmic offbeat that sounds pleasantly out of place. The second song 'Isabella' is the slower, most emotionally powerful song on the EP. The final song 'Owls' is arguably my favourite here, and also the most 'indie' sounding of the three tracks.

Despite the fact that many might pass this off as just an attempt to bridge the gap between full length studio efforts, 'Branches' has really moved me with it's strong melodies, crystal production and powerful performance from all musicians involved. By all means, this is as noteworthy as anything else in the band's discography and with some more content of this quality in a full length, Casey Crescenzo and company could have a new masterpiece on their hands by this time next year.

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