Maker – Self Titled

To follow up their favorably received full length, Mirrors, Massachusetts post-punk act Maker has compiled a thoughtful five song EP that defines the quartet’s sense of progression.  This time around the band’s musical development mirrors that of Brand New’s classic transformation from Your Favorite Weaponto Deja Entendu.  Smoothing their jagged punk edges in favour of deep-seated emotional turmoil, the band tames their tempo to explore their vocal and lyrical boundaries. 

Maker opens as if okayed by a completely different band from Mirrors.  Where Mirrors was fast to get in your face, Maker opens with the singular plucking of chords alongside a newly somber Dave Carter exploring a far cleaner vocal identity.  Similarities surface with late-career output from The Matches – Carter’s voice darkens, but in that super clean, mouthy kind of way.  Taking the better part of the first minute of openers “Shadows” to ground listeners, Carter and the band take off moments later, replacing twinkling chords with steady riffs and vocal eruptions during the chorus.  The promise here plays out in the recurrent ups and downs giving Maker an incredible auditory range.  “You Know Who You Are” serves as another shining example of this well envisioned intra-track variability.

True to the EP’s experimental intent, “I Had To Put My Lady Down” and “Medina” divorce this marriage of styles and devote a separate song to each.  The former takes the rumbled low road while the latter takes the higher byway.  While both feature successful choruses, the more even run results in songs that fly by or drag their feet.  With fewer chances for moments to “pop” into memory, these tracks take a backseat to their stronger counterparts.

Ending on a high note, “Hurricanes” provides a plethora of tempos and vocal variety showcasing Maker at their best.  When taken as a whole, Maker marks less of an evolution and more of an evolutionary step towards Maker’s next stage.  With such a strong sense of spirit, I doubt the band needs to be told what works best here.  Maker is a strong experiment that should leave listeners exciter for what comes next.