ATP! Album Review: The Used – The Ocean Of The Sky EP

In the midst of preparing for a sixth album, who would have thought that The Used would have time for an EP? Well, they did. There’s something very appealing about this practice, and it’s one that seems to be out of favor everywhere but in punk these days. Nevertheless, The Used pull it off in the way that has become expected of them - by hitting out of the park.

It's hard, it’s catchy, and it’s The Used. The drums are particularly impressive this time around, providing the fire in ‘Iddy Biddy.’ And though the song is in a large part, reminiscent of early Billy Talent, there are elements of A and Alkaline Trio as well. When ‘Quixotica’ comes around however, the short vocal riffs are abandoned for speed and power, and with a simple drum fill in the bridge, none of that energy is lost.

It may sound cliché to say that every song on a record is refreshingly different, but it’s true here. Each track has its own surprises, textures, and influences. Hell, the title track sounds more like Weezer or Smashing Pumpkins than The Used at times. In that vein, third track ‘Thought Criminal’ is not so much a departure from the rest of the EP as an interlude. It has balls, but is laced with melancholy, and to include such a soft song on a short record is actually a pretty bold move, and one that pays off.

If you really want to be surprised, in fact, listen to last track ‘Tethys,’ assumedly named for all the dinosaur nerds out there (look it up). There’s something quite special about ambient music, and it actually rounds of the EP really nicely. It’s peaceful, it’s unexpected, and its appearance in itself is amusing.

The Ocean Of The Sky is a great EP that covers bases most artists don’t touch in a span of three albums. It’s short, it’s sweet, and it’s something that perhaps some other bands could look to replicate.

4/5

Edward Strickson

The Ocean Of The Sky EP is available now via Hopeless Records.