Allora Mis - We Were Once

Allora Mis

We Were Once
self-released; 2014

3.7 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

Hailing from  Philadelphia, PA Allora Mis are a five piece band comprised of James Price (Guitar), Jeff Dent (Guitar), Greg Robinson (Guitar/Vox), Mike Norris (Drums, Vox) and Beast(Bass). Their debut EP entitled We We Once indulges in it's own brand of post-rock but also sounds similar to bands like Explosions in the Sky and even Mogwai. The music adheres to a lot of post-rock cliches as they coat their guitars in copies amount of reverb while reaching for epic peaks. That being said the band throws in a couple of twists and turns which I wasn't expecting such as frantic  math rock induced breakdowns.

Norris has a decent voice I have a bit of an ambivalent relationship with . Sometimes his style sounds a bit like Chris Martin from Coldplay and other times he sounds a bit like Taylor Rice from Local Natives. I preferred the latter.

On thing I praise this EP for is good production. I love the way everything was treated  and was especially impressed by the drum sounds. The guitars had their own space as one was panned left and the other right giving the kick drum and bass plenty of room to come through.

The album starts with "The Passage About Prato" which is a solid intro from the band. My head was trying to wrap around the fact of how they play this live. The drums are literally doing a continuous drum roll while Norris is singing. What?! How is that even possible. The best moment comes at two minutes in when the bust out an unconventional riff you wouldn't normally hear in post-rock.

"Death Coffin" is an instrumental track and arguably the highlight of the EP. The band is more Mogwai than Explosions In The Sky and thought they introduced some very inventive riffs here. Very atmospheric yet dynamic. "We Were Once" contains some exceptional drumming and perhaps the most melancholy out of the five tracks. The last two tracks "Petrichord" and "July 5th" are in line with the previous material and further establishes the bands sounds.

Overall, We Were Once is a solid debut showcasing a band with potential. My only advice is that Norris work on his singing a bit and try to come up with a style that sounds more his own. Recommended. 

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