Review: Counsels - The Pieces I picked up (EP)

Label: DIY

Nearly one year ago I discovered COUNSELS' first EP. Since then they didn't have much opportunities to play those songs live. But it seems that the German Emo-outfit made a good use of their overflowing time in the rehearsal space. "The Pieces I picked up" proves just that.

They still play that nostalgic yet youthful sound that made them so charming, though this time around they stray a bit a way from the Midwest-Emo aesthetics and head into a more elegant, Indie-like direction. The feeling of these songs is dreamy and melancholic and the lyrics, full of self-doubt and uncertainty, follow suit. Yet, the songs always move forward, as it was the case on the predecessor. In direct comparison I get the feeling of a more redefined approach, be it track by track or as a coherent 4-song-unit. Adding to that is the production, which definitely is more polished than before, withouht taking away anything from the band's authencity.

Generally speaking, I think COUNSELS did take a nice leap forward as "The Pieces I picked up" improves pretty much on every aspect of last year's debut. Check this out if you're into Indie-ish Emo! And yeah... here's to hoping that these songs see the stage as soon as possible...

Rating: 7 out of 10

Counsels on Bandcamp
Counsels on Facebook
Counsels on Instagram