Earlier in the year, a group by the name of MANIC released a very promising EP that contained five lush indie rock songs in the vein of AS TALL AS LIONS and SNOW PATROL. Although a full-length was expected to be released next, the band has forgone normal industry standards and put out another EP, this one titled Another New Home. While the disc’s calling card may be that it features a remix of an unreleased song (“Carolina Ghost”) by some dude from THE FAINT, the song retains a sense of normalness; thus, the EP hardly feels like a gimmick. Otherwise, there is still a sense that these guys are following in AS TALL AS LIONS’ path (see “Calm”), although the second track, “Nickel Medication,” brings to mind Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me-era BRAND NEW with its vocals-over-simple-guitar beginning and ultimate build-up. Although the band never quite breaks out in this song or the title track (here, the opening minute is dead-on with that of VAUX’s “Are You With Me?”), their sense of restraint is pretty awesome, even if this reviewer wishes they’d just give in to more aggressive temptations every now and then. I hardly understand why MANIC and its label have decided to release another EP this year, but one thing is for sure, whenever a full-length comes, these guys will deliver.

Suretone

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