Band: Philmont
Release: The Transition EP
Label: none
Release Date: October 2010
Reviewed By: BMer
Tracklist:
- I Am
- You Will Remain
- The Alchemist
- Ringing in My Head
- Closer
- The Last Song I Sing
The Transition EP is Philmont’s latest power-pop / rock release. The 6-song EP was released without a label after the band decided to move on from Forefront Records. The album was funded through a Kickstarter campaign that yielded enough money to make The Transition EP. The title of the EP, The Transition, directly draws from the bands current situation, moving from being a signed band on the heels of successful releases, to new members and no label-backing.
Listening to Philmont’s “new sound” you are immediately confronted with a much more serious tone. Gone is the silliness and goofy themes that comes with most pop-punk bands, replaced by introspective, sacrificing lyrics and solid song-writing. Song themes range from acknowledging that God’s infinite and divine nature is the only thing that matters (“You Will Remain”) to following the Lord’s voice even in times of doubt (Ringing in my Head). Throughout The Transition Philmont seem to be realizing that the decisions made in life are important, and impactful, and should be taken seriously. Lyrics like “Seems like our time together is easily consumed / listening to everything that I’ve been going through / I’m so tired of the thief that I’ve become…” really show some of the maturity that Philmont has gone through.
Each song on The Transition is solid, full of catchy melodies and choruses that beg the listener to sing along. The opener “I Am” is full of energy and the chorus is full of declarations celebrating who we are in Christ. Songs like “I Am” and “Alchemist” are faster and feature some of the urgency the band was trying to capture while tracks “You Will Remain” and “Ringing in My Head” are slower and more direct. The drumming on “Ringing in My Head” is great, very dynamic and clean. The whole EP is very tight music-wise, and the end result is a great sounding EP.
The closer is probably the most impactful track, titled “The Last Song I Sing”. The band explained that this song could be interpreted as either a love song for God, or another person, “but the message is the same – sometimes we don’t audibly speak our love often enough.” Many bands try to record a song like this, a complete contrast to the rest of the record, a song to show the softer, more serious side of the band. Philmont hit a homerun here with “The Last Song I Sing” with excellent guitar-work and very insightful lyrics that most of us can relate to. Philmont will be hard-pressed to leave this song out of their live set.
OVERALL The Transition EP is an excellent EP for Philmont, their hard-work to get the record done has paid off in a well-executed, fan-funded EP. If you haven’t checked out Philmont and you’re a fan of power-pop / upbeat tunes then The Transition EP is recommended!