Review of Romance and Rebellion self-titled debut EP

Romance and Rebellion released their EP on June 3. This fun record sounds like The Beach Boys meets Weezer, but somewhat lacks meaningful content.

 

Los Angeles-based Romance and Rebellion came together in 2015. Shortly thereafter, pop producer Stefan Litrownik discovered the group. He subsequently helped the quartet create their first studio recording, Romance and Rebellion- The EP. These gentlemen carry with them a fun Beach Boys-style musicality, with a dash of Weezer thrown in. However, listeners are left feeling as though this young band lacks meaningful content.

“The Next Best Thing” opens Romance and Rebellion with a high-energy number. The tune is catchy and each member seems to have a degree of skill. Audiences – especially young listeners – will likely sing along and enjoy this opening track. With effective arrangements, “The Next Best Thing” could easily become popular.

Next on Romance and Rebellion, “Vanity Fair” and “The James Hotel” are somewhat thinner. With weak lyrics, both tracks lack a hit-worthy spark. Each tips a little too far into canned pop and the quartet’s skill is lost in translation.

Diversifying the sound

“Empty Space” provides a welcome diversion in track four of this EP. The words and performance on this slower song feel more genuine. It would be interesting to see the band translate this sensation into faster or more joyous work, rather than over-molding their up-tempo songs.

 

 

Romance and Rebellion produced their debut music video for the song “More Than Friends.” Possibly the best song on this record, the simple and straightforward concept is charming rather than thin in this case. “More Than Friends” will get listeners moving and singing along – and likely get stuck in their heads. The four band members shine through on this track.

Romance and Rebellion closes their EP with “Thanks For The Memories.” A pared-down tune, the band’s classic British rock influences show through here.

A reasonable first effort, Romance and Rebellion demonstrates some level of potential for the group. Hopefully in time these artists will find their own voice – thereby differentiating themselves more clearly from other all-male pop acts.

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