EP Review: Lateral – Entrance

Six songs in fourteen minutes? Well, prepare to have any preconceptions shattered once you hear Entrance.

I knew Philadelphia’s Lateral got me good once I heard the EP, because though it loosely orbits around hardcore with the slightest whispers of emo, it finds new things to say in such a short runtime.

Phenomenal Realization is just that: short and melodic, but with a complex guitar line, the lyrics are as densely packed as the song itself. Even when the vocals hit some turbulent times, the song never loses its unruffled aspect.

Fruit Bearing Yields has the turmoil of adolescence and relationships threaded through its lyrics, and channels that angst and regret through a track that brought to mind the hidden messages of XTC and the high-flying sound of Foo Fighters. The lyrics allude to something biblical, then ground themselves in cars and girls, as if searching for a way forward.

Following number Yeah, Jesse! pairs well with that track, confusion and clarity colliding in the almost-spoken lyrics; the song is fixed between melodic hardcore and clinical math rock. Here, as on the EP in its entirety, Lateral pack so much into each track – words become images, melodies become emotions, offering insights into the psyche of the song’s narrator.

I did find myself falling too much into analysing the lyrics – you can read them for yourself on Bandcamp – because they are so tantalising, so layered, and open to interpretation. Entrance makes you think, and being presented with a body of work that gets the synapses and neurons fizzing like fireworks is something to be savoured.

Entrance was released on the 6th of March via Perch Records and can be downloaded on Bandcamp. Connect with Lateral on Instagram for streaming options for the band’s music.