Album Review: Love Via Dance Machine/White Rose - Acoustic Split EP

If you are familiar with Love Via Dance Machine and/or White Rose, then this split EP will no doubt meet your expectations of the acoustic material either band would likely produce. Having spent the summer touring together, LVDM and ‘White Rose’ share an upbeat poppy style which cannot fail to get a crowd moving. Usually armed to the teeth with cutting pop punk guitars and bouncing choruses, both bands have translated their style to a more stripped down form with this split. This is the quiet reflection on a late night drive after the tour is over. This is the musical embodiment of the summer comedown.

Having a similar effect on the brain as All Time Low, both bands have a knack to produce songs so catchy you end up hating yourself for liking them. Listening to their full band material, there is a clear stylistic difference between the two bands which also makes itself known on the EP. Where White Rose deal with the straight up fist-in-the-air pop punk of bands such as This Time Next Year, LVDM take more of an electro approach and incorporate synths into the mix (think Pop-Punk mixed with dance beats). But despite their differences, the split actually flows very well, with both bands maintaining their upbeat style even when unplugged.

LVDM and White Rose provide two tracks each which are all ruthlessly layered with harmony. There are moments, particularly with opening track ‘Butterflies’, in which the lovesick lyrics and emotional egg shaker can become quite cheesy, but it seems to work for them so I think we can allow it to be taken with a pinch of salt. One thing that does let the EP down, however, is the level of production. With the occasional pointless keyboard and more reverb than Sigur Rós performing live from a well, the EP seems a slither overproduced, making it feel less chilled out than it aims to be.

With a warm acoustic tone and melodies reminiscent of The Early November, closing track ‘Welcome to Here’ is debatably the best on the EP. The opening lyrics “I’ve made peace with my lack of sleep” sum up the essence of being on tour, evoking the cocktail of contentment, sadness, and exhaustion that all set in at the end of something great. Ironically, though, I have a feeling White Rose are just at the beginning of something great.

Unfortunately with this release, although it does conclude on a high note, there is nothing overwhelming about it as a whole. The melodies are catchy and it is exciting to hear the band’s unplugged material, but you get what you expect and little beyond that.

3/5

'Acoustic Split EP' by Love Via Dance Machine/White Rose is available to download ofr free here.

Love Via Dance Machine on MySpace, Purevolume and Facebook.

White Rose on MySpace, Purevolume and Twitter.

Emma Garland