Clementine, a band composed of 18 and 19-year-olds local to Colorado, recently released their newest EP, “N.O.B.A.“, an alternative-punk inspired set true to Clementine, similar to bands like the Smashing Pumpkins and Green Day.

According to Clementine, this EP has been in the works for a while, dealing with societal themes such as “shootings in public,” “angst in society” and “the patriarchy as a whole,” citing “FDA” as one of their favorite tracks on the EP. Starting off the EP with “Pipe Layer,” – a really energetic piece with a lot of variety in vocal textures – their ability to go from metal-inspired screaming to a poetic, emotional sound really showcases their strength as a band.

“Closer to Casual,” the second track on the EP, also stood out to me with the impressive vocal range and the singer’s strong ability to be expressive through not only words, but the tone of his voice. The instrumentals are great on this track as well. I really enjoyed the break down about a third of the way through the piece. Musical details like this, along with the instrument solos in “FDA,” are what help make this EP sound so professional.

Something I notice unsettlingly frequently in other young bands is the tendency to set and forget a chord progression and rely on the vocals to carry their song while the guitar, drums and bass just trudge along with a chord progression change in the bridge if we’re lucky. Clementine could not be more opposite – throughout this EP, I was really impressed by their creativity and daring when it came to the instrumentals, notably on their strategic use of dropping out all sound but one instrument every few tracks.

If you listen closely, there is always something interesting happening in the instrumental parts. Another fantastic example of this is the choices made in the chord progression for “Interlude.” It shows that Clementine isn’t afraid to avoid basic musical structures, and they aren’t sticking to what’s conventional. I really enjoyed this ethereal, almost Radiohead-reminiscent track.

“Interlude” is so unlike the rest of the EP, and yet it transitions perfectly into the next track, “FDA.” If you are not watching the song change on your device, you wouldn’t know when one track goes to the next. “N.O.B.A.” perfectly takes advantage of the EP aspect with its vast variety in musical texture without sounding like a bunch of tracks just randomly thrown together. I also appreciated the dialogue pieces throughout the EP, and even what sounds like a movie-scene in “FDA,” as it gives it a cool cinematic feel.

Commenting on the EP, Clementine said they were aiming to change it up and focus on showing off their musicianship, which I think they definitely achieved. I’ve listened to this EP several times since it came out in February, and I am really excited to see Clementine pushing themselves out of their comfort zone with this EP I can’t wait to see what unique musical moves they make next.

More information on Clementine can be found on their website.