EP REVIEW: showmetherealyou, by moodring – A Hauntingly Catchy Debut

“Go ahead. Show me the real you – set it free.”

Since hearing the haunting, mesmerizing debut, my ears have anxiously awaited the rest of this EP. Their lead single, which doubles as their title track AND the first thing you hear when diving in, Show Me The Real You, perfectly encapsulates everything the alt-rock/alt-metal outfit moodring so far has to offer. Brimming with punchy riffs, absolutely crushing bass lines, and soothing choruses that will refuse to leave your mind the rest of the day, it’s no wonder they let this track carry so much weight for their first effort.

The heat doesn’t turn down afterwards though, as we’re lead right into a follow-up that demands your attention. Come and Go, with a feature vocalist – Dom Fox, of the group Bad Luck., whose pop/punk sensibilities lend themselves seamlessly into the fray, allowing the two vocalists to swap back and forth without missing a beat, and without ever forgetting their dreary, personal lyrical content, “I’ve made my bed, now it’s time to sleep,”.

Even though the third song doesn’t carry the same weight that a lead single does, nor does it feature another vocalist to help it gain traction,  Prozac boasts itself up and carries the listener forward by delivering what is easily the catchiest song in the entire EP, seemingly taking influences from songwriters in the mid-2000s pop-punk/pop-rock scene with a carefully crafted pre-chorus with lyrics that flow effortlessly on top of one another, building into vocalist Hunter breaking into a scream just before jumping headfirst into its bouncing chorus.

Now I’m Lost closes off our first experience with everybody’s new favorite band, and it just so happens to be my favorite song off of the EP. It starts off absolutely banging, with the by now unmistakable crunchy tone, but with a riff that’s much more in your face and energetic than the rest of the tracks. Having arguably the strongest verse and chorus out of all five tracks – not just vocally, with Hunter bringing out the power behind his voice, but lyrically as well, “Now I’m lost, trying to find my way back to you. Now I’m lost, you shouldn’t try to find me. Oh god, just let me sleep,” (side note: perhaps a call-back to the earlier lyrics in Come and Go). Definitely the fastest song on the list, it’s surprising that they left it to close the EP rather than place it in the second or third spot – but that was far from an unwelcome surprise.

The most interesting thing about the songwriting behind these 6 songs is how much anger is hidden beneath every riff, beneath every chorus. In a scene that seems choked by unnecessary breakdowns in every song, it was a fantastic breath of fresh air to only hear breakdowns that felt earned. Saving the chugging and more aggressive tones for moments that truly deserved to have them – but even more than that, letting you believe you were going to be hearing an aggressive breakdown when you weren’t. There were several moments throughout the EP that felt as though they were building you up for one just before letting themselves down into another slow part of the song, and allowing Hunter’s calming vocals to take over again. The tension you feel while listening to it, and the rush of adrenaline you get when you think it’s about to get chaotic only for it to not, whether intentional or not, is an absolute joyride.

moodring– showmetherealyou EP (out 3/5/2021)

Tracklist:

Show Me The Real You
Come and Go (Feat. Dom Fox, of Bad Luck)
Prozac
Gasoline
Young Love
Now I’m Lost

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