EP Review | Light The Way Return With Dad Gang
Light The Way have returned with Dad Gang. This new EP follows on from last year’s full-length debut False Memory Syndrome. The group also released two more EPs back in 2017 — Dude, Lame and Grace. Pretty prolific for their short career-span thus far.
Unfortunately, Dad Gang is, in my opinion, a frustrating listen despite its relatively short length. The chemistry within Light The Way is undeniable, the playing is solid, and there is fun, infectious energy across all 5 tracks that will have you jumping around and raising your fists in the air in the right setting. This band has unquestionable potential, but they fall just short here.
By no means is this a bad release, but a little more fine-tuning could have made for a really solid EP. The tracks are just a bit too repetitive at times — the opening seconds are attention-grabbing, but afterwards, it’s more of the same in a different key.
However, there are highlights. ‘Hope’, for example, is the best track on Dad Gang. It’s fun, melodic, pop-punk with lyrical themes concerning faith. The guitar intro is really catchy, even if it is short-lived. It’s a high energy, guitar-driven track that will have anyone jumping up and down at a live show. The only flaw with this track is the vocals. They’re okay, but lacking a real sense of urgency that could have taken things to the next level. ‘Hope’ was released as a single ahead of the EP and it’s easy to see why Light The Way chose to lead the way with this track.
Throughout proceedings, the mix takes away from the tracks too often. I know there’s a punk element to the record, so things will obviously get loud, but on Dad Gang, it just seems muddled and uneven at times. I often found myself wondering what they were singing about because the vocals seemed too deeply buried in the mix.
Light The Way clearly have potential, that much is obvious. They have great chemistry, and with a bit of fine-tuning, I feel they could really make a bigger impact on the scene. This EP may not be their strongest work but don’t let that stop you from giving Dad Gang a shot. It’s somewhat lacking for me, but who knows, you could fall in love on your first listen. While you’re at it, be sure to check out previous releases from Light The Way. As mentioned earlier, their back-catalogue includes a full-length record from last year and two more EPs from 2017.
