Posted on: October 31, 2018 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

When Love Was Young is the first track on Payson Lewis’ new extended play, Take Me Apart. The bouncy beginning of this release is reminiscent of works by performers like 5 Seconds of Summer and the Jonas Brothers. Lewis puts his own tack on this genre.

Remember is the stand-out single on this EP as the sheer vocal range of Lewis is matched masterfully by a set of strings. The rising and falling action of this single gradually moves into an infectious dance beat. The blend of synths and bass here will tattoo the single’s melodies deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. It is during the mid-point of the Take Me Apart EP where fans are given a deeper understanding of Lewis’ own unique take on pop music. On Can’t Go Back, Payson is able to build up a brooding, fiery approach that ties together AWOLNATION, Hozier and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn-era Bright Eyes into something that could go blow for blow with anything on radio rotation.

Bad Influence ratchets the tempo back up to get fans out on the dance floor, while Better Run is a call-back to 1980s rock with nods to Walk The Moon and current-era Paramore. The Take Me Apart EP concludes with the titular track, a song which seems at first blush to be just a pop single. Dig up the effort and see exactly how many things are going on during the effort’s four minute run time. There are a variety of levels that listeners can focus onto, all yielding something just a bit different. This attention to the replay value is a solid statement, ensuring that one will have to go back through the entirety of the release to see what else has been hidden throughout.

Top Tracks: Take Me Apart, Bad Influence, Can’t Go Back

Rating: 8.0/10

Payson Lewis- Take Me Apart EP Review / 2018 Self Released / 6 Tracks /

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