Mayday Parade's Valdosta EP Review

Mayday Parades newest EP, Valdosta, starts and ends with brand new songs 'Amber Lynn' and 'Terrible Things.' In between are acoustic remakes of their older songs; two from their newest album Anywhere But Here, one from their first album A Lesson In Romantics, and one from their debut EP Tales Told By Dead Friends.

'Amber Lynn' gives listeners a melancholic vibe, with its relatively slow tempo, Derek Sanders’ gentle voice, acoustic feel, and lyrics about a boy’s love for a girl. Next up on the track listing is the comparatively upbeat 'Jamie All Over,' originally written by and recorded with Lancaster. Personally, I prefer their original recording of the song because in my opinion Lancaster’s voice is more suitable for the part that has now been taken up by one of Mayday Parade’s backup vocalists. Shortly after, 'Kids In Love' starts playing, but with a slower pace than the original. I love what they did with this song; the new tempo and back-up vocals’ harmonies blend extremely well with the multiple guitars in the background.

Similarly, the acoustic versions of 'Your Song' and 'Bruised and Scarred' are a lot slower than the original versions. Powerful electric guitar riffs and drum beats have been replaced with rhythmic acoustic guitar strums, as well as melodious piano and violin playing—which is something new, for this is Mayday Parade’s first time incorporating the violin into their songs. 'Terrible Things' starts off with a simple but elegant melody on the piano, but around the third quarter of the song, the drums, electric guitar and bass guitar kick in for a grand finish to the EP.

If you’re looking for a slow song to listen to when you’re feeling a little down, or if you’re a fan of acoustic songs, I suggest you check out Valdosta. Although there are only six songs on the EP, it’s more than enough to keep Mayday Parade fans quiet while we wait anxiously for their upcoming album to be hopefully released sometime around June or July of this year.

Rating: 7/10

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