Album/EP

The Million - Hydration Station EP (Album Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

/10

Nov 22, 2017

7 min read

The Million - Hydration Station EP
Released: November 20th 2017

Lineup

Jacob Thomas - Vocals, Guitar
Tamon Mashimo - Bass Guitar
Jay Stewart - Drums

The Million, regulars of Wall of Sound will know these guys were the wildly successful headliner to our first WoS Presents: Gig (Review Here). Since then our golden boys have managed to switch out their pop-rock sound seen on their debut EP Awake too Late for an Indie rock vibe coming straight out of the 70s and boy have they pulled it off well. Hydration Station takes you on a journey that not only makes it a beautifully cohesive unit but also displays the immense growth the band has achieved over the past few years.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAtFMAmn2Ww&w=640&h=360]

Opening with single 'Headcheck', which set a high standard for the EP since it's release (Which if you haven’t seen the video, a giant teddy bear snorts coke…enough said). The track was a perfect choice for a single and has a chorus so catchy that for weeks after it's release everyone was unconsciously humming it. Next up is my personal favourite 'D.M.S', in all honesty any song that has that strong of a bass line has me immediately sold. The inclusion of gang vocals also adds a nice touch. 'We Can, We Should' comes immediately after, This is probably my least favourite of the EP; just not my cup of tea. It's got one hell of a breakdown down though. Track 4 however… What a bloody vibe. Appropriately named, 'Stay High' utilizes Latin influence of all things to capture the kind of chill vibe that I can guarantee will be on every stoners “Sesh” playlist in a few weeks.

Closing out the EP we have 'Don’t Sweat It'; It's exactly the sort of anthem I live for. I thought 'Headcheck' might have been that tune for this record, but 'Don’t Sweat It' had me dancing from the first listen. I will be jamming this HARD for the foreseeable future.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyIojI6tqm4&w=640&h=360]

The boys try a lot of new things on Hydration Station and it absolutely pays off; from front-man Jacob Thomas’ silky vocals to the funkiest bass lines since disco was cool. Overall I think this EP is really great; it’s cohesive without being repetitive, super fun, really well written and definitely the breathe of fresh air the local scene was in need of.