[ALBUM REVIEW] You, Me and The Harmony - Contrasting Colours EP

ARTIST: You, Me and The Harmony

ALBUM NAME: Contrasting Colours EP

RELEASE DATE: November 2015

COUNTRY: South Africa

CITY: Johannesburg

GENRE: Pop Rock

MEMBERS:

Cait Forde – Vocals
Carl Dos Santos – Guitar
Caleb Smith – Drums
Brendon McCaig – Bass

You, Me and The Harmony is a now 4 piece pop-rock band from Roodeport in Gauteng. They have been making their mark in the industry since 2013, with their Contrasting Colours EP being released in November 2015. The EP consists of 2 previously released singles, along with 3 new songs. Their latest single,’ Cliffside’ is currently available for listening, and will hopefully be included on the next EP.

While the vocals of Cait Forde bring an overarching Paramore and Flyleaf vibe, it is evident that the rest of the band have varying musical influences which are skilfully placed in such a way as to benefit the band as a whole. Several things set this band apart from many others, namely the female vocalist and the undeniably positive lyrics. This EP seems to consist of songs from both ends of the success spectrum, musically, but is mostly a credit to their genre.

One of the newer songs, ‘Guide You’ has a Blink 182 vibe. Unfortunately, this is my least favourite track, seeming to be forced, musically. No one has the time to shine as they do in other tracks and it wholly disguises their personal flair.This song is almost over-thought, and the resultant piece is a bit paint-by-numbers. The rest of the EP should most certainly not be judged on this track alone as it only gets better and better from this point on.

The rest of the songs introduce some amazing vocal harmonies and allow single musicians such as Brendan McCaig on Bass to show a bit of what they are capable of. ‘I Am’ seems to be one of the more chilled songs with the cohesion making for a much better piece, while the Travis Barker Inspired drums hit their stride in the song ‘Sweeter With You’.

‘Taking This Too Far’ is in my estimation the best song, featuring Greg Von Kerkhof of Red Helen and was indeed one of their first singles. It finally hits the almost Evanescence like Zen, with all of the band members getting into their groove.

Unfortunately the band has recently amicably parted ways with their keyboardist, Joe, as he continues to pursue his Masters’ Degree, but I have no doubt that as accomplished musicians who live and breathe their craft, they will be able to make things work again.

The band continues to gig regularly and can be seen in the company of bands such as Newtown Knife Gang and Red Helen. Keep an eye on their Facebook Page for upcoming music and events.