By: Brittany Muldoon
Dead Lakes’ 5- song EP, New Language, is finally out - their first EP released with Sharptone Records. Hailing from Seattle, Washington, Dead Lakes moves away from their post-hardcore background with this new EP, stepping into a realm that blends elements of the R&B, alt-rock, and electronic genres with their post-hardcore roots, creating a sound that is uniquely theirs.
The songs on New Language dip in and out of all of these genres effortlessly, coming together to create a catchy EP that you’ll have on repeat. The band grapples with challenges like anxiety, fear of vulnerability, betrayal, and the pain of broken relationships all while maintaining an underlying feeling of strength and resilience.
Energetic opener “Close 2 Me” is a relatable anthem in which vocalist Sumner Peterson lends his pipes to the theme of building walls to keep people at a distance. “Paradise”, one of the singles from the EP, plays with electronic mixes of Peterson’s vocals to give this sad song a catchy, positive twist. “SMS Happiness”, the EP’s second single and third track, slows things down a bit. This is where the listener can clearly hear Dead Lakes’ R&B influences come in. This track begs to be understood with melancholy instrumentals behind the powerful and honest vocals. “Nogodsnomasters” is the only track on the album that makes use of harsh vocals. With powerful breakdowns and passionate lyrics, this may be the album’s standout track and will grip fans of Dead Lakes’ previous work, leading them into this new era by giving them a taste of the past. The album’s closer and title track “New Language” wraps everything up with a catchy tune covering the topic of breaking free, much like Dead Lakes has done with this new EP.
New Language is Dead Lakes’ journey into a new creative era. These five songs fit naturally and seamlessly together despite the plethora of influences and musical styles present on the EP, an accomplishment that can be difficult to pull off. With New Language we see a completely new face of Dead Lakes as they show off their creativity and versatility as they start to come into their own - and we’re excited to hear more.
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