STAIRCASE SPIRITS — WAR STORIES — THE REVIEW
War Stories, the new EP by Staircase Spirits, has five tracks of calm songs that are brimmed with a seething anger under the surface. The contrast between the melodic music and the quiet aggravation of the lyrics is interesting to listen to, and not something heard often these days.
The EP starts off with the track “This is War,” making a solid introduction to the themes Staircase Spirits explore in the next four tracks. There is a nice steady build up, almost playing out as the preparation right up to the moment before a battle breaks out. It is a little disappointing in the end when the closing didn’t feel as definitive as the opening, but it was still enjoyable. The track seems to just end abruptly, with no solid conclusion to it, which is really interesting. The track “That Night (II)” is a nice track with a chill start and another steady build-up to the chorus. There’s a satisfying climax it builds too and it has an interesting story in the lyrics. It’s full of regret over not cheating and leaving someone for another, which is a story that I don’t think is commonly told. “Watch Your Mouth” is another interesting track off the EP with some funk coming through. The bassline, especially in the pre-chorus verse fed into the sinister-ness of the track. It creates strong imagery, sounding like a calm threat before a storm comes for someone.
The other two tracks, “Good Ex-Girlfriend” and “Rewriting History” aren’t my absolute favorite tracks off of War Stories. I really liked “Rewriting History” because I liked the idea and the placement of a ballad as the concluding track.
Overall I enjoyed War Stories. It was interesting to listen to melodic tracks with seething and threatening undertones in the vocals and lyrics. I like what Staircase Spirits were going for in creating the EP, and I am excited to see where they go next.
Rating: 3/5
Top Tracks: “That Night (II),” “Watch Your Mouth”