We Are The Fury – Infinite Jest / 2006 East West / 5 Tracks / http://www.wearethefury.net / http://www.eastwestrock.com / Reviewed 01 February 2006

From when this EP starts with the absolutely chipper sound of Toledo’s We Are The Fury, one knows that they are going to be hitting it bbig in 2006. Imagine the bouncy sound of Fall Out Boy mixed with the catchiness of Panic At The Disco! and one has an idea about how “Infinite Jest” starts out. We Are The Fury really mix the catchiness of eighties songs with the bombastic nature of good emo music, throwing a synthesizer behind it for a type of party punk that would make Head Automatica jealous. There is even a hint of Bright Eyes during “Nation, Forgive Us”; this minor shift in We Are The Fury’s sound is really enough to give this EP a renewed vitality at the midway point.

The extended vocal meanderings that act as a bridge here finish the track in a wonderful position for the band. When one hears the very Nintendo-like sounds of the synthesizer on this track, one can make ties even to the wave of Nintendocore bands that have saturated the market in recent years. When the band goes back to the seventies for “Parody At The Masquerade”, listeners begin to see that We Are The Fury have talent in whichever sound they choose to take up for the time. The hook may be a little weak, taking equal influence from both Elton John and Three Dog Night, but the plink, piano roll-sound of the synthesizers during the track really make up for any lost ground.

The band goes back to a more contemporary sound for the final track on the disc, “Soap Opera”, but really links this track together with the rest of the songs on the disc through a verry herky-jerky type of sound. The slight bit of grit that enters the vocals during “Soap Opera’ might portend a harder approach by We Are The Fury in future recordings; the one thing individuals do know is that the band is only hemmed in as far as their imaginations tie them down. Overall, this has to rival Senses Fail’s first EP in relevance and memorable nature; We Are The Fury come through with energy that boil over and a mailed hand that ultimately will take over popular music in the year 2006. Give this EP a listen, figure out when that full length is out and pick that up and even see the band live; I swear you will not be disappointed.

Top Track: Soap Opera

Rating: 6.5/10

[JMcQ]