Anxiety Fair - No Front EP

Anxiety Fair

No Front EP
self-released; 2014

3.4 out of 5

By B Parker

Anxiety Fair are a four piece hard rock outfit that like to play with genre bending. The first track from their No Front EP, “Therapy,” charges out from some 80's roadhouse jukebox, built around a steady strum and beat and featuring a snaking solo during the bridge. But during the chorus there's something slightly out of place: the harmonized backing vocals. You might think they're more at home in a doo-wop number than in something this aggressive, but they fit surprisingly well. Little risks like these at times put the No Front EP in a category that's hard to label, and that is a very good thing.

The components of each song are mostly the same, and as such there's usually an abrasive edge to each one from the electric guitars. But some songs go out of their way to be different, however. “The Man I Wish I Was” is the EP's acoustic outing, played like a western song. The mood shift is echoed in the lyrics as well. 

“The End,” appropriately the final track, is much more ambient: the drums are largely minimal and there's a good amount of space between everything as the guitars buzz and glow but don't overwhelm. It eventually hits a crescendo and everything bursts into a frenzy, reminding you that at their core Anxiety Fair want to hit fast and hard. Singer Chris Kouldukis even screams the lyrics to cement the style change.

Other songs are more typical of alt rock. “There He Goes” is an anthem of self-loathing that revolves around an almost thrashing strum before delving into lengthy, winding solo. 

“Happy Man” is ever evolving, brimming with drum fills and crunching guitars, adding more and more the closer it gets to its slow-breaking finish. The No Front EP is a kaleidoscope centered around hard rock. The styles and influences may shift but at its core it stays firmly rooted in rock. A good adventure if you're willing to take

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