The mood-changing power of music can be incredible. The way that a song can influence your mind through the beats per minute alone is fascinating and is used by DJs in clubs and festivals everywhere to get the blood of the attendees pumping. Other times, music doesn’t need to set up a deliberately hyper-active atmosphere, just a tender and welcoming one. For Cape Cod Americana singer-songwriter Caroline Brennan, this comes in the form of her latest EP, “The Journey.”
It starts with “Break All The Rules.” The ramblin’ guitars and feel quick when propped up by the speedy marching of the percussion. Caroline Brennan’s vocals give an immediate brightness to the track that smooths out the grit of the instrumentals. The deep bass keeps the track grounded so as the vocals don’t fly away with the song. The sunny chorus is magnetic, making it easy to sing along with if you fall in love with its catchy charm. With a stand-out guitar performance throughout the track, “Break All The Rules” sets up an optimistic, high-energy atmosphere of pure fun.
“Going Back” sets up a decidedly more somber and contemplative atmosphere. A slow, wailing guitar leads the listener in with a soft percussion that gives the track a faint pulse. Caroline Brennan’s vocals steal the show on this track from the start, with lines such as “you’re the reason for so many tears” and “even though I know you’re bad for me, I keep givin’ you the best of me” are powerful and instantly deliver their heavy emotion. The airy guitar wailing trails alongside vocals to give them an extra punch, which leads into some fantastic riffs. “Going Back” doesn’t keep the sunny optimism of “Break All The Rules,” but the story it tells is emotional and fueled by a powerful voice.
“Breathe Happy In” brings in a free-wheeling guitar that plays an airy riff to bounce with the bouncy bassline. The poppy drums give a sense of momentum to the track to give it that same sunny feeling set up by “Break All The Rules.” The playful bounces of the bassline are magnetic and are hard to resist swinging your head to, while the licks of the transient guitar instantly grab the attention of your ears when they pop in. The vocal track is just as playful as the bassline, with lines such as “the coastal den is a perfect symphony that helps you drown out life’s woes,” and the chorus lovingly displaying the sentiment. “Breathe Happy In” is an incredible feel-good track that absolutely oozes love for the place Caroline Brennan calls home.
“No Longer Blue” keeps the bouncy bass, but kicks the guitars up to prop up the festive vocals. The track feels like a party coming to life, with kickin’ drums, jammin’ guitars and upbeat backup vocals that bring the sunny atmosphere to life. Every instrument feels like it has its time in the sun but repeat listens always feel fresh, especially with another incredibly catchy chorus to sing along to. “No Longer Blue” feels like the perfect ending to the EP, ending on as warm a note as it started on.
“The Journey” isn’t a misleading title. Caroline Brennan swings the listener back and forth in this EP, sharing both the bright and not-so-bright times. Tracks such as “Break All The Rules” or “Breathe Happy In” are celebratory anthems that are easy to dance to. Others, such as “Going Back” and “Swim To Shore” are much more somber and contemplative. While it may seem jarring at first, especially moving into “Going Back” from “Break All The Rules,” it never detracts from the charm each track has. Each one comes to life when backed by the beautiful vocals of Caroline Brennan and it’s impossible to not sing along with some of the incredibly catchy choruses she delivers. It makes “The Journey” one worth going on, especially for the die-hard Americana fan.
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