The Starting Line Album: “Make Yourself at Home EP”

I worship this cd. I love the whole sadness in the EP. My favorite song has to be Make Yourself at Home... TSL is an amazing band and this cd only drives the message home. TSL is a band that will always be remembered.

To be honest after hearing their debut album I wasn't expecting this band to go anywhere. I mean sure I bought the album, it did have consistently solid songwriting, but they seemed a bit too one dimensional to hold my attention for multiple albums. Well I was wrong. This ep really demonstrates that they have range beyond being just a pop-punk band. It's not just a collection of generic acoustic ballads, they actually seem to be more comfortable and creative playing acoustically. These songs are full of great chords and unpredictably catchy hooks. The production is really excellent. The guitar has such a crisp lush sound that sounds strikingly similar to Jen Wood's work. If you like this ep I strongly recommend checking out Jen Wood's ep This Uncontainable Light. This is like the boy version of that ep. These two eps should get married and have lovely little baby acoustic eps.

This is a really sweet cd, and i would really encourage you to buy it. It features the all popular "Best of Me", along with 5 other never before released songs all of which are aucoustic. They are absolutly amazing songs, especially "Night Life" and "Lasting impressions". I have listened to this cd more times than I can count, and i still love it. It also comes with 2 videos of previously unreleased songs. If you like this band I would suggest that you also check out Oasis, another very good band.

The Starting Line's new CD is a wonderfully crafted acoustic album. On this record, Kenny Wasoli truly opens up and shows himself as a maturing artist, being backed by the awesome electric-less strumming of Matt Watts and Mike Golla. The album is packed full of catchy hooks, distinct chops, and even some digital percussion, adding to the creativity of TSL. I highly recommend this album for those of you out there who appreciate acoustic music without the whining, nasally wailing of a certain other musician...lets call him C. Carrabba...no that's too obvious, how about...Chris C. Anways, purchase this record and you will not be disappointed.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for anything acoustic. I'm also a sucker for good pop punk. Since the Starting Line are one of the few pop punk bands I can stand, and actually like, I was excited to get this acoustic ep.

There's nothing special about these songs, each one is a standard run of the mill acoustic song done by a pop punk band. Although it must be said that these songs do show a more mature side to the band, and prove that they just might be more talented than what they get credit for. The linear notes say that this was recorded in various rooms and basements, and while it doesn't sound like it, that fact adds a certain element that most music today lacks. There isn't a sense of over production and fancy studio trickery. The songs ring true in every way possible.

Acoustic records by "non-acoustic" bands can really show a different and often surprising side to a band. While this album is not a huge departure from the bands sound, the songs are still unmistakably Starting Line songs just not pluged in, they are enjoyable. I can't say that I'm a big fan of the band, but I am a big fan of this record. Every fan out there will enjoy this, and even some non fans might. It's a very well done acoustic album.