Written by Megan Langley
Makari made their way onto the radars of many after the release of their debut album, “Hyperreal,” which was came out back in the summer of 2018. A little over two years later, the Orlando, Florida-based quintet has returned with a brand new EP, “Continuum.”
The EP’s first track and second single, “Let Go,” begins with isolated guitars before more instrumentals quickly join in, adding some extra energy early on. The drums and vocals take the lead during the softer verses, and the vocals briefly get a bit more aggressive at the tail end of the pre-chorus before a super fun chorus.
Second is the lead single “Labyrinth,” where the drums and looped guitars build up a dramatic intro and drive the verses. It all leads up to a huge chorus, where the vocal delivery and guitar solo will blow you away.
“Reflection” is a bit more upbeat than the two tracks prior to it, and it contains some of the catchiest instrumentals and melodies on the whole EP. That can also be said about the huge chorus of the following track, “The Fall,” which is surrounded by some slightly softer sections that are driven by the drums, vocals, and some reverbed, delayed guitars.
Following this track is the final one on the EP, “Mend.” This one, for the most part, is much more laid-back, with vocals that start out as soft as the instrumentals do before everything gradually gets louder for some harder-hitting choruses.
Another thing that stands out about this band’s music is the lyrics. “Reflection” is a track where the title is very fitting, as the lyrics of that song feel very reflective, whether about oneself (“I lose myself so I could be someone / ‘Till I don’t recognize my own reflection”) or a relationship with another person (“I’m fighting with my head just to get along with you / We share no common thread / I’d change but it’s no use” and “Your wisdom couldn’t heal me / another masquerade).
That wasn’t the only track with lyrics that will catch listeners' attention, however. The pre-chorus in “Labyrinth” includes the line “Your life's a labyrinth of places you've never been", one of the most interesting lines from the entire EP.
With skillful and technically impressive performances and introspective, creative lyrics “Continuum” incorporates everything that made Makari stand out to fans in the first place. This EP shows the band refining and evolving their sound, and overall, it’s another fantastic release from them.
“Continuum” is available now on all streaming platforms; be sure to follow Makari on Twitter @MakariBand and check out their merch store! If you’ve heard the EP, let us know what you think of it by tweeting us @lgndsoftmrw!