Maddie's Changed - Houston's Problem

Maddie's Changed

Houston's Problem
self-released; 2016

3.4 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Maddie's Changed is an alternative rock/pop punk band from Denver, CO, comprised of Conner Driver (vocals/guitar/bass/drums), Lucas Wagoner (guitar/vocals), Nate Wethington (drums/vocals) and Patrick Garner (vocals/guitar/bass/violin). The band was initially formed as a joke and for the purpose of playing several covers at a New Year's Eve party in 2015 but formed to a full-fledged band along the way. They recently released Houston's Problem which is a four-song EP showcasing where they are at.

The band is the embryonic stage of their development and it shows on this EP as they sound like a standard pop punk band that has been influenced by the usual suspects like Jimmy Eat World and Yellowcard along with some surprising deviations. They also don’t seem to have a good understanding of the type of band they are at this point because they explore disparate styles on the songs.

The opener “Riding Out The Storm” is just straight pop punk and there's just no denying that. They come equipped with the typical tropes associated with the genre including the nasally lead vocals and palm muted chord progressions which goes into picking. It’s not a badly composed song; it’s just that there is nothing unexpected or surprising about the song. 

What is surprising is the next song “Celebrate Your Life” which has violin and clean guitar chords. The song feels unexpected coming off of the first song. They are decent moments in the song but it goes on a little too long. Next up is “Untitled” which is the highlight. The song again feels like a deviation from everything that came before. That being said it's a really good song and the vocals sound by far the best. The recording also sounds better. I hope to hear them continue with this style.

They close with a solid song entitled “One Last Breath.” Overall the song works but it felt like it took a little to get going. This song has more of a grunge feel and also has some inspired moments. 

​Maddie's Changed is a young band that clearly needs to start figuring out what their sound is going to be. These are dabbling in a number of different styles to say the least. Luckily, this isn't uncommon for a band that has been together for less than a year. There is some potential here. Let’s check on them in about another year and see where they are at.

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