endless loops - names

Endless Loops

Names
Ribcage Records; 2014

4.0 out of 5

By Demeria Harris

The backstory to Endless Loop’s Names is really cool – the band did a Kickstarter to fund the album, and people who contributed a set amount of money got a song dedicated to them. You guessed it – most of these (except the last song, a cover) were written for those Kickstarter donors. What a sweet way for a band to honor its fans!

The entire album is cloaked with pop synth backgrounds and sweet male and female vocals that harmonize beautifully. You can tell that the songs would be missing something if either one of those parts were missing. Once you get into the meat of the album, you discover that each song has an intriguing story that lies between catchy choruses and featured instruments. I wonder if each winner was interviewed before the corresponding song was written; the topics are so personal, yet so easily identifiable, that it’s hard to imagine they just pulled the themes out of thin air for each person. 

Take a listen to “Nicole In Vegas.” The title pretty much describes what this song is about. I did love the addition of piano here; it isn’t present in any of the other songs and it does give a nice touch. Admittedly, “Found In NYC” is an energetic and fun way to start the album, and likely holds a lot of nostalgia for anybody from New York City. 

I loved the esoteric beginning to “Jason’s Dream;” it perfectly captured the musical beginning of a dream sequence. Of all the songs, I identified most with this story. It tells the tale of a man who lives a ‘normal’ life, doing everything he’s supposed to, but still yearning to break free of the constraints of life and pretty much live on his own terms. Who can’t identify with that at some point in their lives?  

“Forget Instantly” is a really cool song to end this EP, even if it is a cover; the subject is very fitting to the title of the album, and it sounds great to boot. I wasn’t able to find the original, but I enjoyed listening to this regardless. 

At face value, this is a nice compilation of songs detailing the human experience, a composition where a person could relate to at least one song if not many of them. Since I knew about the backstory, I found an even deeper appreciation for the stories within the songs; it gave them a sense of realism that I couldn’t have found otherwise (kind of like the “based on a true story” effect used in movies). I really admire what the band chose to do here, and I liked listening to the fruits of that labor. 

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