The Band Perry - The Band Perry EP
By: Matt Bjorke
The first time I heard The Band Perry there was something fun and youthful about the trio of Kimberly, Neil and Reid Perry. Kimberly’s vocal on “Hip To My Heart,” their Top 25 hit debut single, is infectious and while it is definitely a polarizing track that leans heavily on the pop side of the fence, The rest of the trio’s EP (which is a preview of their album) doesn’t feel anything like “Hip,” outside of the family harmony and acoustic instrumentation. “If I Die Young” is an obvious highlight of the EP as it finds Kimberly singing in a soft, reflective voice as she sings a story of a ‘sharp knife of short life’ that details what might happen if somebody died young. It’s the scheduled second single and while the lyrics aren’t exactly the stuff of sunshine and happiness, the song is nonetheless a stand-out track, particularly with a magnificent fiddle solo right before the bridge.
Written with Kara DioGuardi, “Postcards From Paris” may have a pop-leaning feel to it but the melody never veers from an acoustic/country base with plenty of fiddle and mandolin audible in the mix while All Your Life” has a bluegrass-base to it with the banjo, fiddle, mandolin and resonator guitar clearly backing up this East Tennessee band as Kimberly sings a song that really reminds me of something that feels like a mix between Sugarland and Taylor Swift. “Quittin’ You” is clearly the bookend to this EP’s lead-off track “Hip To My Heart” and it may be a catchy pop ditty but there are far worse songs out there and that’s clearly the thing when it comes to The Band Perry. While not every song is going to hit, their talent is there to raise even the ‘lowest’ song up to something interesting and worthy of listening to.
These five songs should only make fans really want to get the band’s full-length album in the summer/fall. The talent showcased here is topnotch and if radio will attach themselves to a really good song like “If I Die Young,” then we may have yet another strong group with more than just a photogenic look.
You can support The Band Perry by purchasing this EP at iTunes.
READER'S COMMENTS
lucyloo says:
Posted: Sunday, January 2, 2011
you nailed it billybob.... It's the old "band wagon" approach... in business. Examples : Mello Yellow/Mountain Dew/SunDrop - 7up/Sprite/Sierra Mist, etc.... If your a record company or an artist who is having NO success being yourself.... Just emulate the artist who are you may have some success and make some money.. despite how disrespectful it is... Personally I think it's totally dishonest and unprofessional and display's a COMPLETE lack of artistic integrity... but that's just me for some people, the quest for ALL MIGHTY DOLLAR will lead them to do some ridiculous things
Ashlee says:
Posted: Tuesday, September 7, 2010
HONEY13, You don't know what you are talking about! I agree with what AVA said!
Ava says:
Posted: Tuesday, September 7, 2010
I think you miss the point of the song. The Band Perry isn't 'glorifying' death. They're simply stating that the narrator in the song would be content with their life. I actually think they're 'glorifying' life and the beauty of living every minute of your life to the fullest potential, because we don't know if we'll be hit with 'the sharp knife of a short life."
HONEY13 says:
Posted: Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Band Perry - while a good band - their release of When I Die Young - is just wrong. They are glorifing death and just how many teenage girls are going to listen to this - with problems of their own - and think that well see how beautiful I'll be if I die - and then turn around and do something stupid that will last forever. Death is not pretty or beautiful and the message should not be sent to teens that it is. By the way I have teenage grand daughters and I surely do not want them listening to this song - no matter how good the band is.
says:
Posted: Monday, May 10, 2010
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