Various shades of angst are what make up the spectrum of emo. Whether it’s weepy, rageful, or sullen, the main thread of disquiet disturbance runs through them all. However, instead of wallowing in a sea of tears, Orlando, Florida based emo-pop punk band, Dearly Beloved, deliver continuous gut punches on their debut EP, “Nova Roads.” As far as the band is concerned, everything is anguish and this EP is their therapy.
As a whole, “Nova Roads’ ‘ runs the gamut of the effects of personal and societal suffering and expels all of the fermenting toxic emotions with an incendiary emo/pop-punk style. Whether it is head spinning mania or an existential meltdown, Dearly Beloved attacks both with the same uproarious energy. This hybrid form of emo-punk is what sets Dearly Beloved apart from being another dyed in the wool, woe is me rock outfit.
The height of Dearly Beloved’s mania is “Sorry, I Was Dead.” A whirlwind of hyper guitars lay the groundwork for a track about being a tangled up mess of debilitating emotions. “Sadness” begets “madness” before winding up in “endless loneliness.” Altogether, it is a delightfully disjointed ride from the perspective of a mind struggling to hold itself together.
On the heels of being torn apart from within, “Stuck (Again)” takes a more tactful approach, but is not any less full of strife. A languishing melody upholds the notion of being stuck between a rock and a hard place. With a sinister undertone of being stuck in limbo, this track is designed to be the anthem of second guessing yourself.
Not all of what Dearly Beloved puts forth is entirely personal. “Alright With Me (Not Really)” is an existential meltdown driven by the world at large. Whether it is the political climate or civil unrest, this track boils it all down to being one voice drowning in a sea of conflict. It’s an intense track that has “so much to say” but “no one wants to hear it.” It blazes through the clutter of echo chambers and denial with a piercing, agitated sound.
Altogether, “Nova Roads” is a largely unrelenting collection of high strung, emo-punk. Throughout this EP, Dearly Beloved walks the fine line between downhearted and seething. By doing so, they let all of the animosity hang out in fervent fashion.
Written by Travis Boyer
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