Venice is Sinking- Okay EP

My God, this is pretty good stuff right here. Venice is Sinking’s new disc is everything you want a quality EP to be; seventeen minutes long and terrifically catchy. Venice breaks out the violins and bells in the beautiful “Compass,” making a remarkably sweet and warm song. It’s the type of pop music that seems ideal, when done correctly; traditional pop with unique twists. With the addition of the aforementioned violin, bells, and the occasional piano, Okay veers into the baroque-pop genre, which is never a bad thing. It’s usually fanatstic when you hear violins and pianos working so seamlessly with contemporary instruments, and it’s no exception here.

If I’m going to throw praise at “Compass,” then Jesus Christ, I have to mention “Ryan’s Song.” Not that they sound remotely alike, but that song reminds of a Grizzly Bear gem. A total tour-de-force of a song, but in a totally subtle way that may have to seep in, rather than attach immediately. A hard guitar arpeggio rides over distant piano chords, and wispy atmospherics. Oh, and the melody is amazing and so ethereal. With “Okay,” “Give Up,” and “Okay (alternate version) as back-up, this is a badass EP. As do all great EPs, Okay leaves me disappointed that it couldn’t have been stretched into a full album, because it would have been killer.