REVIEW: Small Hands | Ordinary Neighbors split EP

Here you go…been quite a lead up to this moment that this split EP by two Filipino bands spread around the world is finally up for streaming. The split EP features a Filipino band called Ordinary Neighbors who live out in the US, and the phenomenal Manila-based band Small Hands who simply put, rule.

Having been in love with Small Hands for some time now I went straight to their two songs…

I was NOT ready for the emotional ride that the first song of their side of the split was going to take me on. It starts off with a very epic Envy style noise intro and then female vocalist Alva launches into the most visceral screaming that I think Small Hands has ever done…her screams on this track completely catch you off guard and hooks you in. Now THAT’s the way to launch a new record – throw the listener in for a loop. The second song The Things I Tell Myself Everday is the Small Hands that we all know and love…the one that unabashedly brings everyone back to mid 90’s emo…perfect soul bearing music done with dual vocals – one singingly in melancholy and the other shouting for someone to hear him…

These two songs. Out-fucking-standing…

Then I went back to listen to the openers of the EP Ordinary Neighbours from California…first song 1985 is fucking great – great intro guitar riff that then barrels right into some beautiful emo-tinged pop-punk. As I was listening to this track I couldn’t help but think what a great combo this EP is – two very different bands from different parts of the world but both who easily fall under the “Fucking Badass Emotional Rock of 2015″…by the time the second track is done I found myself searching for the lyrics because I could hear both through the music and certain phrases that I could hear, music that I really could connect with. And at the end of the day, sometimes, that’s all we hope to ever be able to do when we create music.

This EP is great and something that both bands should be immensely proud of.

Go listen to it at this link:

http://newnoisemagazine.com/exclusive-stream-ordinary-neighbors-small-hands-split-ep/