The Detached Collective - Forever

The Detached Collective

Forever
​self-released; 2017

3.6 out of 5

By Dan Weston
 

The Detached Collective is Tom Barter (guitars/vocals), Joel Allen (drums) and Ben Kaye (bass). In 2015 they released Forever and are back with a four-song EP entitled The Truth?

​They are a pretty straightforward rock band and my first thought was that Barter sounded very similar to Eddie Vedder. His inflection and delivery unequivocally sound almost identical at times. In fact they even have a song that seems to be a tip of the hat to a specific song entitled “You're a Better Man.”

The band opens with the title song “The Truth?” which is a fun, forward moving rock song. It gains energy as it progresses. I thought it was smooth and the transitions were tight. The song never dragged and was one that I’m sure sounds great live. 

“HaHaHa” has a similar energy to the opener. It definitely has a grunge flavor it. The lyrics are very broad and could pertain to any number of things. Barter sings “I, Haha I, I don’t need to know you To know, what you have done Oh I haha I, I don’t need to know you To know, what you’ve become….. Alright.”

Up next is “You're a Better Man” which as I mentioned has so much in common with the Pearl Jam song “Better Man” that I wonder if it's supposed to be some sort of a continuation. Overall, it was a good sounding song that is closer to a ballad then a straight rocker. 

The band closes with a no frills rocker entitled “How To Feel” which comes in around the five-minute mark where the last minute is dedicated to a “Free Bird” type guitar solo. It felt like an apt closer if a little on the predictable side as well. 

The Detached Collective is a really solid rock band and I think there are some improvements from their first effort. I would still like to hear if the band could define their sound even more on their next effort and veer away from some of the more overt influence. 

Overall, the songs are enjoyable, well delivered and rock. Recommended.

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