Written by Jennifer Moglia
Hailing from Connecticut, Triple B Records’ Anxious could be classified as melodic punk, post-hardcore, emo, or even just for fans of early Title Fight; regardless of what genre they fit into, there’s something about their sound that can appeal to just about everyone. Their fierce 2019 EP “Never Better” stole the hearts of many, and after playing countless shows, most notably the northeast run of Knuckle Puck’s winter tour with Heart Attack Man in February and March of 2020, they had cemented themselves as one of the bands to watch within the alternative genre right now.
“New Shapes” is their most recent release, dropping on January 15th, 2021. At only two songs and roughly eight minutes long, this EP serves as a way to quickly check back in with the band before their debut full-length is released.
Track one, “More Than A Letter”, is significantly softer than Anxious’s previous material, a welcome change. While “Never Better” felt attacking, even cutthroat at times, this is a lot less aggressive, which isn’t a bad thing at all.
Things kick up a notch when we reach the chorus, and vocalist Grady Allen’s delivery is definitely a highlight of the song. The instrumentation gets more and more energetic and intense with each refrain until it is stripped back down for the song’s conclusion.
The second and final track on this release, “Not Now, Please / Dante’s Afternoon”, is a re-imagining of sorts of one of the strongest moments from their previous EP, “Please, Not Now” off of “Never Better.” The lyrical content is where the similarities start and end, for the most part.
While the original recording is heavy on percussion, soaring guitars, and aggressive vocals, this version is the complete opposite. The message comes across in a different way, still just as powerful as it was the first time we heard it but definitely more vulnerable-sounding now.
This EP ends with a bit of an interlude, as the final two minutes of this track are filled with either silence or music with a lack of lyrics, presumably making this the “Dante’s Afternoon” portion of the song. Most likely a reference to band member Dante Melucci, this section is beautiful and is the perfect way to end the release.
Although it’s a far cry from the loud, sometimes confrontational Anxious sound we’ve grown used to from “Never Better”, “New Shapes” is a solid release, putting the band’s versatility on full display. We can’t wait to hear their debut full-length and are hoping it’s a perfect blend of all of these varying elements of their sound.
“New Shapes” is available to stream wherever you listen to music, and you can support Anxious by picking up some merch, including the new EP on vinyl, as well as following them on Twitter @AnxiousCT. Let us know what you thought of this new release by tweeting us @lgndsoftmrw!