Review by Shannon Shumaker
Warm, confident and comfortable, Matt Rouch & The Noise Upstairs’ new EP, Half-Expected Heartbreak is the perfect continuation of the sound established on their debut full-length, The Beautiful and the Damned. The EP is only five songs in length, but within those five songs, Matt Rouch & The Noise Upstairs manage to tell a story and make you feel right at home.
Opening track, “Already Yours” is easy-going, warm and loving, giving listeners a little bit of everything, from spectacular guitar work to beautiful dual vocals and shining violin. The band is quick to pick up the pace after this folk love song, too. The following track, “Baby Do You Love Me” will make you want to get up and dance, with upright bass and playful lyricism taking the lead. Just the first two songs do a great job of showcasing the band’s diversity, but they don’t settle there, and the third track, “Bullets” is proof of that. With violin and wild guitar work spearheading “Bullets,” the band also proves that they’re capable of high energy, foot-stomping bangers.
The best part about this dynamic EP is definitely its flow. Despite the differing energies and sounds of these five songs, they never feel choppy or inconsistent. Instead, songs like the energetic “Bullets” transition perfectly into the laid-back, “Like A Lady” and “Queen City Junkies.” The wide range of sounds found throughout these songs make Half-Expected Heartbreak a perfect snapshot of Matt Rouch & The Noise Upstairs. It’s short, sweet and to the point.
LISTEN TO: “Already Yours” or “Baby Do You Love Me”
STAY CONNECTED WITH MATT ROUCH & THE NOISE UPSTAIRS: https://www.facebook.com/MattRouchandtheNoiseUpstairs/