Courtesy Drop – Stabilize

Nashville post-rock act Courtesy Drop impressed me with their debut full length, Songs To Drive To, Cry, and Make Love To, and I had always intended to spread the good word, but never found the opportunity to write something up.  Like the lovechild of Mineral and Deathcab For Cutie, the result was both abrasive and calm, controlled yet aggressive.  Thankfully the band is quick on output, and a short year later a new EP presents presents the opportunity to talk up the up and coming emo-leaning trio.  

Stabilize features four brand new cuts along with a previously exclusive digital b-side.  The quality remains familiar, even if the impact comes across slightly lesser than their past effort.  The basic formula as per opener “The Eighth Gate” remains constant: offer up plenty of opportunities for jangly guitars to swell with brash vocals and then retract into calmer times.  The result rests somewhere between The Saddest Landscape and Cursive with a much softer touch punctuating highs and lows.  But the group remains at their best when flirting with their most controlled elements.  For instance, the female vocals washing over “Space and Interaction” present a delicate touch to the track’s morose attitude, and the vertical layering of both vocalists make for a cleverly divergent harmony.

The only downside remains the more monochromatic segments.  In this regard “Orion” stands out for the wrong reasons.  The tune tends to play it safe in approach, separating discord from harmony and reserved moments from expressive ones rather than letting them play off and into one another.  Although less noticeable, “Pegasis” straddles the line if only for its nearly six minute runtime that becomes defined by an excessive instrumental exit (it just drags on and on the satisfaction of a tight conclusion).

Stabilize further develops Courtesy Drop’s status as worthy newcomers to the post-rock scene.  Combining elements of emo and post-punk, the EP mostly showcases the creativity of a strong up and coming talent.  A few bumps and bruises can be found throughout, but Courtesy Drop maintains a commendably cohesive front from start to finish.