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The Norm: Normaltown EP Review


(Independent Release) Normaltown, The Norm’s first release since the band moved from Milledgeville to Athens last year, is a concise encapsulation of the group’s commercial appeal. Its four undeniably catchy songs all hit different targets on the hip-pop-rock spectrum, playing like an audition for a summer-festival slot.

Opener “Falling Down” lands somewhere between Fall Out Boy and Twenty One Pilots; the following track, “Same Old Thing,” features whispery John Mayer-ish vocals on the verse and a contrasting anthemic chorus. Standout closer “Thought It Was Hard” succeeds with a slinky reggae rhythm, some well-placed horns and a familiar-sounding guitar riff.

The Norm does what it does exceptionally well, even if it tends towards the formulaic, and this radio-ready sound makes a kind of sense as summer approaches, like drinking Bud Light Lime at the beach. (Anyone else? Just me?) Slickly rendered, eager to please and with a soupçon of grit to keep things lively, Normaltown will make for a fine sunny-day party soundtrack.

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