Courtesy: Cyber Tracks
Late this past September, Fenix TX released its latest studio effort CRE.EP to the masses. EP was the band’s first studio effort to be released in 15 years. The record only boasts five songs, but is still a welcome return from the Houston, TX-based pop-punk outfit. The record’s opener is a clear example of how the record’s musical arrangements and lyrical content come together to make it such a welcome return. The same applies to the record’s second offering ‘Church and State.’ The record’s closer, ‘I Don’t Know What To Say’ is one more example of how the record’s mix of music and lyrics makes it such an enjoyable effort from Fenix TX. ‘Bending Over Backwards’ and ‘Get Loose,’ the record’s third and fourth songs, also serve to support that statement just as much as the record’s other noted songs. All things considered, CRE.EP proves to be one of 2016’s top new EPs.
Pop punk outfit Fenix TX’s new EP CRE.EP is one of 2016’s top new EPs. ‘Spooky Action At A Distance,’ the record’s opening composition clearly supports that statement with the partnering of its musical arrangement and lyrical content. In regards to its musical arrangement, this song would be a perfect fit for any mainstream rock radio station. That is thanks to its catchy, infectious guitar and bass lines, and the band’s vocal harmonies. They form the foundation for the song’s musical arrangement and are sure to have any listener playing along whether on their air guitar or the real thing. The band’s vocal harmonies add even more flare to the song’s musical arrangement and make the song that much more of a solid start for this record. Of course the song’s musical arrangement is just one part of what makes it such a solid start for the band’s new effort. The song’s lyrical content plays its own important part in the song’s success.
The musical arrangement presented in ‘Spooky Action At A Distance’ is in itself a key part of the song’s success. The combination of the arrangement’s infectious guitar and bass line, and the band’s vocal harmonies makes the song a solid start for the record and one of the record’s best offerings overall. It is just one part of what makes the song a solid start for this new record. The song’s lyrical content is just as important to note as its musical arrangement. The song’s lyrical content makes it come across as a piece centered on a personal relationship. That can be inferred as front man Will Salazar sings, “Moth to flame/Burning in the rain again/But I can’t see it through/’Cause I’ve got no heart left to give you/Miles away/Memory is bound to fade/Seen it all before/Washed up on the shore/All those things/I should have said/You don’t know/What’s inside my head/Playing over and over and over again.” One is left to assume that Salazar’s subject is addressing a romantic relationship, considering he sings in that lead verse about having no heart left to give, and having so many thoughts of the past in one’s head. It is a very familiar subject for listeners. The song’s second verse changes pace very little in terms of its content, again leading listeners to assume that Salazar’s subject is addressing a romantic interest. Of course that could very well be completely wrong. It is just this critic’s own take on the song. Though, it would certainly seem to be the center of the song’s lyrical content. Keeping that in mind, the manner in which the band addressed the seeming topic is original. When that approach is coupled with the song’s infectious musical arrangement, the two elements join to make this song a clear example of what makes CRE.EP a welcome return from Fenix TX and one of this year’s top new EPs. It is just one of the songs that supports that statement, too. ‘Church and State’ also supports that statement just as much as the record’s opener.
‘Spooky Action At A Distance’ clearly exemplifies why CRE.EP is a welcome return from Fenix TX and why the record is also one of this year’s top new EPs. That is exhibited through the song’s musical arrangement and its lyrical content. It is just one of the songs that serves to support that statement, too. ‘Church and State’ supports said statement just as much as the record’s opener. As with the record’s opener, its musical arrangement plays its own part in that success, too. The arrangement is a success thanks to its lighthearted, bouncy feel presented both through its guitar line and drums. That feel makes the song’s arrangement just as fun as it is infectious. Again, as in the case of the record’s opener, the song’s musical arrangement is just one part of what makes the song another impressive addition to this record. The song’s socio-politically charged lyrical content is just as important to the song as its musical arrangement.
The musical arrangement at the center of ‘Church and State’ is a clearly important part of the song’s presentation. It alone does plenty to exhibit what makes the song another welcome addition to CRE.EP. It only goes so far in making the song a welcome addition to the record, though. The song’s socio-politically charged lyrical content is just as important to its presentation as its musical arrangement. The song’s lyrical content leaves little to the imagination as Salazar sings in the song’s chorus, “Now we gotta take it away/We only needed to know/Who are the ones in control/Is it the church or the state.” He is seemingly addressing the divide that has been formed among Americans because of the divide between the church and state even going so far as to say in the song’s second verse, “Individuality/It’s coupled with equality/Makes a perfect unity for all/The one and only thing keeping us on second string is knowing divided we can fall.” Salazar’s commentary maintains just as much bite in the song’s lead verse and throughout the remainder of the song. Considering that this is clearly a politically charged piece, the fact that Salazar could make such a clear statement without letting it be just another run-of-the-mill political rant makes it even more interesting and enjoyable. When this is coupled with the song’s light, bouncy musical arrangement, the pair comes together to make the song in whole yet another example of what makes CRE.EP such a welcome return for Fenix TX and what makes the record one of the year’s top new EPs. It still is not the last of the record’s featured songs that support these statements. The record’s closer, the anti-love song ‘I Don’t Know What To Say,’ is one more example of what makes this record so impressive.
‘’Spooky Action At A Distance’ and ‘Church and State’ are both key examples of what makes CRE.EP a welcome return for Fenix TX and what makes it one of this year’s top new EPs. That is due to the combination of the songs’ musical arrangements and lyrical content. Both songs present their own fun, infectious musical arrangements while their lyrical content gives each song its own identity separate from one another and from other songs within their given topics. While each song stands on its own merits in exhibiting CRE.EP’s positives, they are not the only songs that make the record stand out. ‘I Don’t Know What To Say’ serves to make this record stand out just as much as the previously discussed songs. As with those songs, it is the song’s musical arrangement and its lyrical content that serves to help show why the song stands out. In regards to its musical arrangement, it presents a pop-punk sound similar to that of the record’s opener but not one that just re-hashes that sound either. It is a fun, straight-forward arrangement that is a perfect fit at any mainstream rock radio station’s lineup in its own right. The song’s lyrical content is just as important as its musical arrangement to it being another of the record’s most notable compositions.
The musical arrangement at the center of ‘I Don’t Know What To Say’ is in itself a key part of the song’s presentation. Its straight-forward yet still familiar pop punk sound makes it a perfect fit for any mainstream rock radio station. It alone doesn’t make the song stand out, though. The song’s seeming anti-love song lyrical content makes it stand out just as much as the song’s musical arrangement. That seeming anti-love song sentiment is inferred as Salazar sings, “What if there was no way to be who you wanted/What if there was nothing I could be but Wrong…There was nothing I could do/To take that crazy out of you/But I’m not sad.” This is just a small glimpse into the song’s lyrical content. The rest of the song’s lyrical content follows a similar stream of thought. It is that breakup song from the guy’s standpoint rather than that of the woman. It empowers men who are caught up with a woman who is just wrong for them. At least it comes across that way. Considering this original (or at least semi-original) approach, the song’s lyrical content proves to be just as important to its presentation as its musical arrangement. When both elements are partnered, they make the song in whole one more work that stands out just as much as the record’s opener and ‘Church and State.’ All three songs stand on their own merits. When they are joined with the record’s other two songs – ‘Bending Over Backwards’ and ‘Get Loose’ – the whole of the record shows clearly why it is a welcome return for Fenix TX and why it is one of this year’s top new EPs.
CRE.EP is a welcome return for Fenix TX. It is also one of this year’s top new EPs. Considering that it is the band’s first studio effort in 15 years, that is a brave statement, too. It is a statement that is supported from the beginning to the end of the five-song,11-minute record thanks to the songs’ musical arrangements and lyrical content. ‘Spooky Action At A Distance’ and ‘I Don’t Know What To Say,’ with their mainstream rock arrangements clearly support that statement. Their lyrical content, seemingly centered on personal relationships serves to support said statement, too. ‘Church And State’ uses its more lighthearted, bouncy musical arrangement and biting lyrical content to support that statement, too. One could also cite the musical arrangements and lyrical content exhibited in ‘Bending Over Backwards’ and ‘Get Loose’ to support that statement, too. All things considered, CRE.EP is a work that fans new and old will appreciate. That is regardless of whether or not Fenix TX ever releases another record. Either way, the record still proves in the end to be a welcome return for the band and to be one of this year’s top new EPs. It is available now in stores and online. More information on CRE.EP is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Website: http://fenixtx.net/#index
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Twitter: http://twitter.com/fenixtx
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