Planks releases A memorable debut EP

A pretty personal record from Planks came out, and it has a wonderful way of stretching across a series of genres that all have something a little different to offer, from classic rock-oriented feels, riffs, and guitar tones, to a warmer, more folk-inspired style.

The EP, titled pilot, has a way of giving off a righteous and very bright tone a lot of the time, songs such as "Mr. Well Informed" provide a lot of the combination of warmth and brightness but also gives you plenty of the classic rock aesthetic along the way, with catchy lyrical phrasing, and loads of hooks coming from vocals and guitars alike.

You can hear more of that classic rock and hints of Southern rock with others like "Things Happen At Night, delivering gorgeous organs throughout it, giving the song a fuller feel, and again, beckoning that classic rock approach with every passing second.

The drumming across the EP is outstanding and really has a way of letting the rest of the instrumentation and performances push off of that energy.

Also has a good amount of country and Americana in different areas. "Pilot", the title track of the record, is definitely riddled with country inspiration from the percussion to the double-layered acoustic guitars, and even the vocal performance on this song in particular has more twang.

The song also has what sounds like either slide guitar or a lap steel, also building and heading to the country-inspired set of soundscapes it brings out.

Going through this EP gives you a lot to hold on to musically, but also expresses a lot on a more personal level, lyrically.

"Hey Love" is a very straightforward style love song, but you can tell it's from the heart. This has a sort of acoustic pop feel to it, still hinting towards that Americana approach, but with a great, crisp, colorful overtone to it that quickly reminds you the artist doesn't stray too far from his natural pop sensibility.

The lyrical approach to the entire EP is very interesting because a lot of it has to do with relationships and love, but also has darker areas that express struggles among those topics as well.

The record expresses the light and dark sides of a relationship in general and how that can be a scary thing, especially when love is involved.

You never know what can happen, and a lot of the record has different ways of expressing that sentiment.

The way the artist articulates his lyrics makes songs very understandable so that you can connect with them quite easily, and he's excellent at laying out stories from that personal perspective.

All of this comes together to give you a record that has some amazing layers, an excellent and warm combination of genres and approaches, and plenty of honesty and truth that lets the artist have vulnerability, but a strength as well.

The whole thing was beautifully executed and has an addictive energy with loads of memorable hooks and choruses that soar.

The singing always has the same kind of warmth that the guitars portray, and this is an aspect of the record that gives it a lot of its strength. 

When it comes to a release like this, you look for that genuine approach. You want to hear the stories told because after a short time, you realize it's all very real. 

Planks is unafraid throughout this release. He expresses everything he wants and spins all of it into catchy songs that draw you into the story further. 

Listen to this EP so you can see more of what I'm talking about.

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