The Crash Years’ new EP, Cope is a slow jog, but worth your time in every sense. It’s an album of piano heavy pop songs and ballads that don’t rush themselves, instead taking their time to fully flesh out into a heartfelt story.

Cope is an album that retains the grace and raw emotional pull of any great piano pop band. Piano is definitely the main instrument of choice, leaving the rest of the instruments to act as backup, pushing the melody forward. It creates an atmospheric effect that helps the lyrics to take center stage. What results sounds like a pleasing mixture of early Copeland and The Reign of Kindo.

However, the strongest points of this EP are also its most damaging. With every song a slow one, by the end of the album it feels like it begins to drag as some of the songs begin to blend together. Vocalist Joel Cox is a beautiful singer, however, showcasing his abilities on the album opener, “Intro”.

That said, if you need something soft to jam to, this EP is exactly what you’re looking for. It’s quiet and peaceful, but pumps enough life from the full band to grab your attention. Lyrically, the EP is very heartfelt and soothingly comforting.

The aforementioned “Intro” is a soft piano ballad that shows off the range of Cox’s voice in an infectious catchy pop melody. “Beyond the Trees” is a slow song with soft drums and strumming guitars that help showcase the vocals as he sings, “Tell me your story, leave the details / Tell me about your scars”.

“Cope”, the self-titled finale is a seven minute song that walks along prodding piano and faint guitar, keeping itself afloat with a harsh warlike drumbeat as it slowly ramps towards a satisfying ending.

The Crash Years’ Cope is a soothing refresher from the scene that makes itself a very humanistic piece that is easily relatable. While the aim of the EP is to create atmospheric piano pop, it doesn’t vary itself enough to particularly stand out. What it excels in though, is being a gorgeous distraction from the louder releases on the scene that will hypnotize you in melody. If you were a fan of Copeland, this is an EP that you should be listening to.

3/5

by Kyle Schultz

Kyle Schultz is the Senior Editor at It’s All Dead and has worked as a gaming journalist at Structure Gaming. He lives in Chicago and yells at the rain on occasion. He also wants to play you in FIFA.