It’s been three years since The Cab have had any type of proper release. The Lock Me Up EP is an unexpected surprise that can easily satiate the appetites of fans who have been waiting, as well as give some insight as to what they may expect of the band’s next full length.

Lock Me Up is satisfying, but plays into the hands of generic pop more often than not. Where their last releases felt like they were part of the lighter side of the scene, this EP sounds like it’s trying to play catch-up with Maroon 5. While there are several wonderful songs, the constant tromp through genres makes the release feel partially disjointed.

The Cab can write a hell of a catchy pop song. They’ve never skimped on this attribute, and it shines full force on Lock Me Up. This is easily the least produced of anything they’ve ever released, with every instrument playing solid and separate. Though the step back on production does the band well, their pop elements feel familiar, as though almost every song is chasing after its chance to be radio friendly.

Title track “Lock Me Up” starts off with a crisp, steady drum beat, cello standing in as an enticing bass and the occasional guitar solo raging through the choruses. It’s an eerily alluring song that sets the pace for the EP as well as shows off a flashy amount of minimalism that shows the band at their best. Singer Alex DeLeon wails with confidence, “Lock me up with joy, why don’t you lock me up with love? Chain me up to your heart…I don’t want you to stop”.

While it’s a great song and shows the best aspects of what the band offers, one can’t help but hear how similar DeLeon’s voice is to Adam Levine from Maroon 5, or how the beat feels like the start of an Adele song. Not to take anything away from the song, but it does tend to feel like a mash up of top 40 sounds that fuel the EP.

“Numbers” is an R&B filled piano ballad that seems like it would feel just as at home on a Justin Timberlake or Bieber album. It also features, perhaps, the blandest chorus that the band has ever written. “Out of the seven billion people on this world there’s only you, almost a million words I could say but none of them will do, […] Out of the seven billion people, baby, you’re the only one”.

The second song on the EP, “Moon”, is a light techno song that erupts into the most energetic chorus on the album. The drums take center stage, knocking out a firm beat that is backed by synth bass and short, deliberate guitar riffs. Again, DeLeon seems to be chasing Adam Levine’s vocal range and style, and does a damn good job of it.

Lock Me Up is a collection of the Cab scratching at the peak of their prowess for writing breathtaking pop songs, as well as a gospel for what is the current rage amongst the pop community. While the EP tackles different genres and styles, it struggles to maintain a cohesiveness and balance. Lock Me Up is already radio friendly if that is the direction the band intends, but lacks the originality needed to dominate it.

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.