Band: Inlow
Title: Prayers – EP
Label: Unsigned
Release Date: 2009
Review By: Steve
Tracklisting:
- Stop Frog Don’t Jump Under The Lawnmower
- Crawling Forward, Running Backwards
- Not Myself
- Right Click To Fire
- Wait Til Morning
Inlow is a five-piece post-hardcore/screamo band out of Missouri that can actually bring it. I was surprised at how mature they sound. When you see them on their MySpace page, you think “Oh no here comes some more bubble gum/pop hardcore.” However, they do not sound like that at all. There are no high-pitched voices breaking as puberty sets in. Like many unsigned bands, Inlow has encountered many hardships trying to get their EP released and have had financial problems causing them to forego playing at festivals such as Cornerstone. Despite these difficulties, Inlow has pressed on and released a solid debut EP.
Despite Inlow’s youthful looks, these five guys can certainly put some punch in their music. Their music is heavily laden with your typical hardcore breakdowns and they throw in some excellent guitar riffs here and there. Instrumentally, Inlow is definitely above average with no glaring flaws in their music. They sound a lot, like what you would expect from most post-hardcore/screamo bands. That is not necessarily a bad thing but more of a reality that faces this and many genres.
I like what Inlow did with the vocals in Prayers. Instead of only screaming in the chorus, they scream pretty much throughout all the songs and mix in the clean vocals in the choruses. I like this approach a little better because I prefer screams throughout the whole song but if you are going to mix in some clean vocals at least do it at a minimum. Inlow reminds me a lot of old blessthefall.
My favorite song on Prayers is “Not Myself.” This song is about how we cannot do anything on our own without the help and grace of God, and it is one of the heaviest songs on Prayers. I was impressed with the depth of the lyrics. Instead of just giving superficial praise & glory to God, Inlow tackles some big subjects such as getting over your past in the song “Stop Frog Don’t Jump Under The Lawnmower” and the emptiness we feel at times in our lives when we don’t hear or feel God’s presence in our lives in the song “Crawling Forwards, Running Backwards.”
Overall: Prayers is an excellent debut from an unsigned band. I was impressed with the quality of the production and mixing of the album. From start to finish, Prayers will assault your audible senses. I believe any fan of post-hardcore will find some enjoyment out of this EP.
