Initially when I wrote back to my friend Kelly about reviewing albums for this site I was a little apprehensive for a few reasons. Barring those concerns I have to say I was very excited to be sent The Maine's debut EP, The Way We Talk. I've heard a lot about the band and they came recommended from Kelly and she has good taste. So with that I decided to give them an honest shot.

After about 5 listens of their EP I can easily say this; The Way We Talk is an enjoyable EP filled with mid-tempo pop/rock . Unfortunately it doesn't offer any real surprises. If you ignore that then you are going to really enjoy things. On the first listen you could mistake The Maine's vocalist John Callaghan for a younger Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line unfortunately that's about as far as the similarities vocally speaking stretch. The opening track, If I Only I Had The Heart is the perfect opener for the EP because it introduces you to almost everything you're going to hear on the remaining songs. The harmonies are clean, some of the guitar work is interesting and there's plenty of background instrumentation which adds some depth of feel to the music. However, it's not enough to really do much to break the proverbial pop punk rule book.

Lyrically, The Maine stick to the tried and true formula of "clever" word play and never stray far from the typical subject matter of troubles with the opposite sex as showcased in the track The Way We Talk: "You're as fake as the moans you make, and you're as weak as the hearts you break." As formulaic as this EP is it is still heads above most bands trying to fit into this mold. Overall the EP is good, not great but The Maine are working with pop/punk super producer Matt Squire on their full length. With Squire' Midas Touch in their corner these boys are going to go from good to great.

Submitted by Enoma Asowata