EP Review: The Airborne Toxic Event, The Secret

An EP release can either be an appetizer of what’s to come in the near future or a collection of songs that do not fit with the rest of what they’re doing. In the case of The Airborne Toxic Event, the former holds true. We saw them about a month ago when they filmed their Morning Becomes Eclectic session in Santa Monica and there they showcased some of the new material they’ve been working on. A couple of those songs are on their four-song EP, The Secret.

For the past handful of years, the Los Angeles-natives have gradually moved from local buzz band to touring machine. Singer/guitarist Mikel Jollett’s working man charm and the band’s blend of harmonic arrangement combined with their indie rock sensibilities has allowed them to appeal to many types of fans. While The Secret is the precursor to the band’s next full-length, it provides an interesting glimpse into the quintet’s new direction.

The similar quality that each song possesses is its grandness. What does that mean? For the first time, the band takes on a bigger sound, yet it doesn’t sound bloated. The title track initially sounds like it could go in a U2 Achtung Baby direction, yet when analyzing Jollett’s lyrics, it’s heavily influenced by Springsteen (more on that later) and is paced like one too. With multiple tempo changes, an anthemic guitar riff and Jollett’s booming vocals, this song best demonstrates the band’s bigger and bolder direction.

That’s not to say that the other three songs are slouches. “The Storm” is as melodic as it is radio friendly (late ‘80s U2), while Anna Bulbrook’s gentile viola and Steven Chen’s soft keyboard riff allows for “Safe” to give the feeling of being exactly that. After two minutes of building, Jollett relinquishes the vocal to duties to create a pretty harmony that’s a departure for them before giving way to a shredding (well, at least as shredding as they can be) guitar solo before structurally sounding again like The Airborne Toxic Event. That may sound a bit convoluted, but trust me, the song’s structure is constructed in such a tight, concise way that has the feel of a band figuring out their musical identity.

With their third album, Such Hot Blood, slated to be released next month and having announced a headlining tour, The Airborne Toxic Event is trending upward. If Jollett is channeling classic rock influences like he’s said, listening to Springsteen is certainly a great way to challenge a songwriter and to inspire some of the best work of the band’s career like it has here. The tried and true rock formula of euphoric anthems and heartfelt lyrics will always win plaudits from fans, even if the music can be a bit different than what they’re accustomed to. That’s what the band does here, and if it’s a preview of what’s to come, then buckle your seatbelts and relax: this band’s ascent has just begun.

 

Photo by Jeremiah Garcia