Wake Up Call (EP) by Thomas Priest

The impact of the Wake Up Call is always different, and Thomas Priest makes no secret of that on his new EP release of the same title with five most excellent pop and rock tracks to sink your ears into. I would think to call it power-pop, but there’s a lot more to what Priest is doing, so it falls more under the former guise with simple but complexly written tunes. It’s a breath of fresh air to hear any young artist going after what drives them the most, because it’s no longer something of abundance in today’s musical music landscape.

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Opening with “Wake Up Call” to get the EP starting off at the right speed was an inevitable decision which more than likely will go a long way in getting this EP off the ground where it truly belongs. This is an obvious single with no question about it, as well as a stand-out piece for Thomas Priest. This EP was recorded in Nashville where just about everyone who wants to record goes these days, but it doesn’t mean they all come up with such remarkable results. This is an area visited often enough by me to sense the scene on the streets, in the venues and especially the countless studios in the area, and this EP meets all the standards to be found there.

“Safe Tonight” is completely another animal with Lindsay Mac providing spot on vocals in an exchanged lead spot to absolutely die for. And this is not exactly like the opening cut, but it feeds off some of that energy and sweeps it into another direction. The end-result is one worth hearing and might even be the sleeper track of the disc which only contends with its four other tracks of the same ilk. This is an amazing song that reminds of many modern bands including the Raconteurs for its full-on variety and killer songwriting.

After just two tracks, it’s a lot to swallow by the time “Ignorance” comes in and almost steals the lyrical show. The message here is more than likely the strongest without making it too obvious, and this is where Thomas Priest can easily creep up on you. The difference on this song is the mid-section which tends to stretch out quite a bit in the percussion department, and it makes the song one of the more musically interesting and enjoyable moments. I-TUNES: https://music.apple.com/us/album/wake-up-call-ep/1471048092

This EP was produced by Rian Dawson, and it couldn’t be more fitting for the young artist from East Northport, Long Island. Together, they clearly made magic worth repeating again and again, which should very well culminate into a full-length album release, or hopefully will. Because you just can’t top the energy and creativity they accomplished here without a manual at the very least. And the disc closes very nicely with a searing ballad on “What Do We Do,” begging the listener without prodding, and ultimately closing on a high but subtle note.

Michael Rand