Local Review: Settle Down – If It Exists I Have Seen It From My Throne

Settle Down
If It Exists I Have Seen It From My Throne

Escapegoat Records
Street: 06.16
Settle Down = Norma Jean + Touche Amore

Settle Down remain one of my favorite acts in the valley. I can’t get enough of their emotionally layered groove with that sweet post-hardcore frosting. This is to say that I am very stoked on this “double single” release—I only wish it were longer. Nonetheless it is a deeply satisfying six minutes, wherein two songs, “Obsidian Tower” and “Hate Strangers, Love Other People” are combined on a single track. The former is hypnotizing with its steady, pounding drum groove, Alex Johnson’s desperate screaming and the inclusion of Eileen Mayhew’s clean-as-a-bell vocal accents. After a few tics, the second song immediately launches. It’s much shorter and a bit of a bruiser compared to the other, but its darker melody and more intense pacing make it a strong way to end even a short EP such as this. This band seems incapable of writing a boring song. –Megan Kennedy