EP Review: Peace of Mind

Kirikiriroa Alternative/Indie rock 5 piece Retro Valley are about to drop their long awaited new EP Peace of Mind. Having released three sublime and well received singles prior, this 5 track EP is beautifully crafted and composed, with top tier production, catchy as hell songs and a great mix of their ever-expanding sound. These songs see the band embrace, dip and dive into pop rock, 80’s pop, pop punk, emo and their signature indie and alternative rock sound.

Opening and title track Peace of Mind was released earlier this year and sets the tone for the album. Upbeat and full of hooks with a faster paced beat and grooving rhythm. The vocals hit big notes and scales right from the first verse, with excellent melodies, overlaps and harmonies, instantly leaving the hook in your ears and mind. Then into a half time chorus with the bass running upscale, playing an alternating hook to the vocal melody creating a more melodic tone with the guitar following the same line in the next sequence. Retro Valley create these huge soundscapes with the four core instruments and layer it with unique sounds that run in and out, overlapping and sitting under the mix, creating a bustling feel and flavour to the music. The bridge chills right down with ambient textures, whilst still keeping the same amount of feel before the song launches back into the epic final chorus.

Good Chat hits deep, with a big funky bass guitar, understated Thundercat feels with upstroke guitars adding that extra symmetry. The transitions in all these songs are flawless, on point and continually keeping the songs moving. The chorus is full of synth and guitar combos or just synthy guitars and combined with the vocals, just keep punching up and up. We also get to enjoy some classic 80’s Tom fill and snare blasts and big synth overtures. Perhaps a signature move, they like to drop into the final chorus with something different, be it a pause, drum fill or off beat jump. The song continues post chorus into another phase with a lead guitar outro ending climatically. The song is big, bouncing and feels so modern and fresh. Runaway, follows suit and begins with a huge and thick bass line courtesy of bassist Gianni Monti and a cameo from some tasteful bongos, it’s those little extras that just add that extra flair. This song has a more modern rock feel but also has some of those 90’s retro guitar licks. The vocals mix it up again with a talked style vocal, Ben Pascoe’s vocal talents just continue to roll out on display throughout the five tracks. There is so much going on throughout the verses yet it’s all composed and mixed to allow the instruments to pop and play with clean coherence. Once again, the chorus hits and its full of memorable moments.

Serotonin is a highlight track. The song has a sadness to it with the vocal delivery. Right off the back, the lead guitar delivering a hooky and melodic performance. The guitar work of Gabe Williams & Ethan Rowling continues the interplay, in and around each other’s parts during the verse, so clean and trippy. The chorus hits hard in impact, the lead guitar firstly adding flourishes at the end of the bar and then following the vocal melody, really driving up the energy and angst of this emotionally charged track. The bridge amps it up with an offbeat drum rhythm, there is no drop in drive with huge vocal bursts and big note hits. Mitch Walkers drums hit hard, his playing is full of groove and feel, keeping things interesting constantly like the 16th notes in the 2nd half of the verse or off beat double stroke tom rhythms in Good Chat, it’s those subtle and unsubtle changes that keep the songs so interesting. Lifeline is a beautiful rock ballad rounding out the EP and it’s a banger, so much mood, atmosphere and passion. The acoustic guitar plays an alluring and mellow tune with harmonic guitar accompaniment. As the song builds, the drum tom’s flow, and the song slowly ascends with the lead guitar building in presence and intensity. Powerful and emotive, another vocally impressive track, displaying huge range.

The vocal harmonies throughout these tracks are on point. These guys know how to write captivating music, fun, upbeat and exciting to listen too. The production is massive, with a killer mix, with all the instruments shining throughout the performances. These tracks live in my mind happily and I highly recommend listening to this EP!