Skyrocket is the debut EP from Cleveland based pop punk band Elbow Room!
Tracks: 1. Hindsight 2. Rooftops 3. Skyrocket 4. Circumstance 5. Aura
Justin Kolis (vocals), Spencer Fetcko (guitar/vocals), Nicholas Corbin (drums), Stephen Fetcko (bass), and Ben Scott (guitar) might be young, but they without a doubt know what they’re doing. Elbow Room covered all the bases when it comes to their shocking maturity and unmistakably apparent skills; distinctly shown within each individual element of the EP. The pop punk “genre” is nearing the peak of its celebratory return, and what Elbow Room has created here with Skyrocket is yet more evidence that pop punk is *crosses fingers* here to stay.
The first track on the EP is ‘Hindsight’. The anticipation building intro flawlessly induces eagerness to discover what Skyrocket has to offer. There are fantastic instrumental moments throughout that I truly hope you take notice of. It’s about revelations in a transitional phase of life, where you’re trying to come to terms with who you are and what you’re doing. It grasps this idea of not knowing yourself, not having things “figured out” when everyone appears to, and desperately not wanting to feel lost anymore. Because of this, ‘Hindsight’ will resonate with a good majority of people.
‘Rooftops’ exemplifies connectivity and purpose. With strong vocals that contain an abundance of feeling behind them, this track expresses being changed by the world even though all you want to do is make a difference. Sprinkled with moments of having a positive outlook and the concept of dreaming from a rooftop, it still obtains some resistance. I thoroughly related to this one.
Next is the title track ‘Skyrocket’; every album needs one song that’s kind of an angsty “heartbreak” anthem. ‘Skyrocket’ carries an internal conflict; the kind where you know things aren’t good, but for whatever reason you still try to find something that you can hold on to. I predict that this track will for sure be a crowd-pleaser at Elbow Room shows. What do you think? It’s safe to say that this could be the EP’s earworm… admittedly I’ve had “message in a bottle, a bottle” repeating in my head all weekend.
‘Skyrocket’ is followed by an acoustic piece (always a personal favorite) called ‘Circumstance’. The emotion is shadowy, and specializes in simplistically beautiful instrumentals accompanied by profoundly gripping lyrics. ‘Circumstance’ doesn’t need anything extra added to it, and that’s what makes it open and revealing in the best way possible. I believe that you get a clearer perspective of who a band is when listening to songs like this. Impressive.
Finishing off Skyrocket is ‘Aura’, which is also admirably raw and honest. I particularly enjoyed the way this track was written, and lines such as: and now I start to struggle with your ghost inside my head / I still fucking struggle with your ghost inside my head. The well-spoken message of resentment is coherently received, and it’s straight to the point. ‘Aura’ is effortlessly relevant and surely timeless.
This is definitely just the beginning for Elbow Room, and I for one am ecstatic to see where their journey takes them next. So if you were fond of their debut EP Skyrocket, follow the band at some of the places below!
Alex Kilgore, Untold Music Promotion