The Living - The Clock is Stirring (EP)

​The Living

The Clock is Stirring (EP)
self-released; 2016

3.5 out of 5

By Dan Weston
​

The Living is a band from Detroit consisting of Sam Hartman, Jack Hartman and Ryan Daniell. They released a demo quality album called The Clock is Stirring (EP). It's a mixed effort with up and downs, and with plenty of room for improvement.

​Production-wise there is a lot to be desired lo-fi or not. I’m not going to go through the laundry list of issues but this is something they should try to improve next time around. Musically, there are some well-written songs but the band has trouble staying in the pocket. It’s an issue that was evident on a number of songs. 

There are some songs that worked well on the album. The opener “Long Cold Look” is one of the highlights. It’s a fun relatively low energy garage song.The second song is a sloppy yet fun song. That being said the vocals are way too low in the mix with the snare overpowering almost everything else. The next track “Out of Reach” also has moments but “a Place to Hide” could use some work. 

Out of nowhere comes “When You're in My House.” It’s Beatles-esque, slightly experimental  and felt like the highlight on the album. I thought this contained the best vocal performance and was definitely the most emotionally resonant. I hope they continue more songs in this vein. It fits them well. “When You're in My House” almost makes the remaining two songs feel out of place.

The Living has all the hallmarks of a young band trying to figure out their sound. They dip into different areas yet haven’t figured out what their sound is like yet. The band shows potential on a number of tracks and overall I enjoyed the album. They are still a case of wait and see at this point. I don’t have much doubt they will evolve and I look forward to their progression.

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