REVIEWS
WRITTEN BY: MEG
Back in 2020, Melbourne, Australia-based band Vermont released their self-titled EP. Two years and a few months after that release, the band has returned with their sophomore effort, “Mature Minds for Overzealous Kids.”
“Over Our Head” opens the EP, and the instrumentals and vocals quickly grabbed my attention from the moment they came in. A common theme across a couple of these songs seems to be a relationship, and the lyrics of this track in particular talk about dealing with conflict (“We’re in too deep now, in over our head / Every time we talk, we’re screaming instead” and “It’s all too much, but can it change? / We fight too much, it’s not the same / are we scared to leave or are we scared of change?” being two primary examples of this).
“Loathe” begins with a huge intro before switching to a softer dynamic for the first verse, which focuses more on the bass and drums. The chorus circles back to that theme of a relationship, talking about two people who tried to patch things up, but realized in the end that it wasn’t going to work out (“We used to talk, we used to be something else that you can’t quite see / We tried so hard to fix this love / There’s nothing else, nothing left of us”). The second verse and bridge bring emotive vocal performances, and those sections are a couple major highlights from this whole EP. “Headlights” is a more uptempo track, opening with chopped up vocals and a catchy drumbeat. The bass and vocals stand out in the first verse, and the pre-chorus incorporates some slightly heavier vocals before the chorus comes in, providing even more captivating performances. “Numb” brings another anthemic intro that mixes some synths in with the harder-hitting instrumentals. The verses contrast, led by much cleaner guitars, leading up to a chorus just as massive as the beginning of the song. The lyrics continue to tell a similar story to what the previous tracks speak about, this time reflecting on a relationship after it ends (“Wasted effort and wasted time, another day and another lie”), and trying to move on from it (“I want to go somewhere so far away, I need to do something to get away / But I don’t know where to go cause it’s so cold, there’s no warmth here anymore”). A later section of the song contains one of the most impressive performances on the whole EP, over the following lines: “Was it me that made you happy? Or was I just a waste of time? Was I set up for failure chasing someone else? You never wanted me, you never wanted me!” “Memories” follows a similar lyrical theme, but takes on a different perspective, as it shows someone accepting that the relationship wasn’t meant to be, and even if it can’t be repaired, there are still fond memories to look back on (“Do it for you, do what you need / Take a new change of scenery, a place with no history / Do it for us, just do it for me / Maybe we can’t fix everything, at least we’ll have memories”). “Faceless” wraps up the EP, and the intensity of the volume gradually builds up during the verses and pre-choruses before the choruses start, where the vocals and instrumentals once again deliver strong performances, ending the EP very well. The six intriguing alt-rock tracks found on "Mature Minds For Overzealous Kids" comprise an excellent EP from Vermont. "MATURE MINDS FOR OVERZEALOUS KIDS" IS AVAILABLE NOW. LISTEN TO IT HERE:
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