Sounds of Satellites’s newest EP, “Leverage”, is packed to the gills with their signature gritty sound that provides the listener with a burst of fresh energy.
The band never goes easy on the listener and continues to push the boundaries of comfort, asking the hard questions countless people struggle with daily with its heavy lyrical content. It’s easy to compare them to mewithoutYou, Manchester Orchestra, and Listener, bands that also address tough issues about life with a unique sound. Even in those comparisons, Sounds of Satellites has created their own distinct, alternative sound that sets them apart from the others.
“Daggers” introduces the EP with an energetic guitar riff that leads into the song’s story. Sounds of Satellites is a band not afraid of asking the hard questions or confronting real issues in man’s everyday life, even man’s everyday walk with God.
“The dagger doesn’t cut through the darkness,” singer Chance Espinoza bellows in the chorus. “Stagger through the blood, it’s exhausted.” The theme is evident through what is said, as well as what is heard, such as explosive drums and building guitar that emphasizes the argument that’s being made. “It’s just a construct,” Espinoza shouts throughout the song.
Whoever at the end of the song shouts, “That felt so good,” echoes the listener’s emotions in the perfect way.
Though the second track, “Erase You,” is just under three minutes, it packs a powerful punch. While all songs on this EP are worth studying, this one might be the most thought-provoking. The addition of Hebrew in the lyrics adds an interesting dynamic also heard in the music. The intricate yet brief guitar riff in the chorus is a wonderful predecessor to the communion of each instrument. The build-up to the end, signaled by powerful drums and Espinoza’s fresh vocals, leaves the listener pondering the meaning of the song.
“Feverish” reinforces what Sounds of Satellites thrives on: forcing the listener to really think about why he’s here and what he’s doing with his life. The chorus is as vivid as the song’s overall theme: “The salt of your world gave me gout. I can’t walk with men who stand around.” The raw honesty in Espinoza’s voice translates directly into the repetitious guitar riffs and crashing drums. The breakdowns lead fluidly back into explosions that are climactic moments in each song, Feverish especially.
“Late,” the last track is the most specific, most story-like song on the EP, and perhaps the most harrowing. It’s also the slowest, which justly captures themes of grief and frustration. The story is about a young girl losing her father and asking God to bring him back, “to tell him I spelled out ‘poignant.’” The song naturally leads up to an eruption of sounds, while the guitar holds the sorrowful mood.
“Leverage” quenches a thirst of anxiety and apprehension that holds true to the alternative rock genre. Sounds of Satellites have firmly established themselves as a strong force of contemplation and reflection through weighty and honest music, and “Leverage” only solidifies this fact.