EP Review: To Live And Die In The American South by Riley!
EP Artwork for To Live And Die In The American South by Riley!
Already 3 records deep, there might be an expectation on audiences that they know what they’re going to get from a new Riley! release. However, the South Texas band have decided to take a moment to breathe and reflect on this new EP, “To Live And Die In The American South”, their first release since signing to Pure Noise records.
They’re a band that has steadily made their name by cutting their teeth touring all over, whether that is supporting some of the biggest bands in the world of contemporary emo, such as Hot Mulligan, to self-booking headliners touring all over the states, even hitting the UK. It wasn’t until their brilliant 2024 LP “Keep Your Cool” that put them on the map for many, and made them one of the most captivating young voices in the scene. It’s an album filled to the brim with energy and a bite, but what made them really stand out was the vulnerable lyricism courtesy of vocalist Ryan Bluhm.
Opener Roll For Initiative is reminiscent of past songs from the band, starting off with a muffled sound effect over the raspy vocals and lead guitar, it then kicks into a full-on pop punk rager whilst lyrically tackling some intense themes, whether that be literally the existential dread of death and what you leave behind, or more the daily struggle that life can give you. It’s a feeling that anyone can relate to and the mix of brutally honest lyrics delivered with a ferociousness alongside frantic syncopated guitars bring this track to another level. Amongst the frenzy is the bass guitar playing front and centre courtesy of Kris Gallardo, gliding across the track this brings a real focus to the song that manages to bring all the ideas together in such a satisfying way making this track a total earworm once you hear it.
An interesting addition to this EP is the stacked list of vocalists featured. It feels like a celebration of the friends they’ve made along the way. The first of these features is courtesy of Tades Sanville from Hot Mulligan on Another Round of Radical ‘Ritas, Please, a song about self-doubt and insecurity that musically feels entirely in Tades wheelhouse, if not a little too much. However, even if the formula to this song is a little overplayed, it’s used for a reason! It’s a super catchy song that weaves in vulnerability as well as a big chorus featuring the memorable refrain “If I Were You, I’d Hate Me More” that just begs to be screamed along at a live show, that final section where both vocalists harmonise for the last chorus is so satisfying, we can only hope that they perform this live together.
The next track, Two Bucks features Eric Egan from Heart Attack Man, which shows the two singers battling between the costs of touring emotionally when it comes to what you miss not being home, but at the same what you get to experience travelling the world. It’s a slow-building track with a simple arpeggiated chord progression in the first verse, before kicking into more of a pop punk rhythm with Eric’s verse, which is so catchy it could very well be a chorus in a Heart Attack man song. To then lead into the main chorus, which is a lot moodier, is such a cool juxtaposition and a testament to the ability of the band to effortlessly create what feels like endless hooks. Something that comes across in these songs is with each collaborator a taste of their work has carried with it, this song has much more angst than other songs in the EP, and it creates for a really varied experience, for only being 5 songs this has a lot of range which makes its a super worthwhile listen even if one track doesn’t quite work for you.
The third and final feature of the EP comes from Gabe Woods of Saturdays At Your Place and perhaps the most effective on the track Backseat Bartender, it acts as a response to the central themes and offers a similar but different perspective. There’s a distinct frustration with their own mental health, when you are able to achieve and make a living doing the thing you set out to do, and still struggle, it can put all of what you’ve focused so hard on in doubt, whereas the response from Gabe offers a willingness to try and work on things, although they’re (at least temporarily) resigned to the same fate. The song is quite mellow through the second chorus. It then breaks out into a big instrumental section with the thumping drums of Cesar Izaguirre leading the way, even in the gentler moments of this release, Riley! always write something you can dance to as well as cry.
The grand finale is a sombre one. 73 Summers tackles grief but in the years after, it wrestles with what’s left unsaid. As time goes on and memories fade, the love you held for those closest always remains. No one is ever truly gone, and this moving tribute is as epic as any closer could be. “The Sound Of Your Voice Is Starting To Fade” is a line that has stuck with this writer since listening to the song, it’s something everyone wrestles with but its a a harsh truth, the EP is full of candid lines like this that stick in the mind, and make this so memorable.
This new release from Riley! is their most accessible yet, with that really coming through in the polished production, but that hasn’t come at the expense of any loss of energy or emotion to the tracks, it instead exemplifies the quality of songwriting throughout. This is a fantastic entry point for the band, and feels like an opportunity to take stock of what got them here, as what’s next will be massive.
FFO: Hot Mulligan, Arm’s Length, Saturdays At Your Place
SCORE: 7/10
To Live And Die In The American South is out now on all streaming platforms, released via Pure Noise records.
Catch Riley! on their current headlining tour in the states as well as their upcoming tour in the UK supporting Ben Quad this October: Info Here
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