It’s very rare that we encounter a band that is so brand new that they don’t have any information to supply about themselves. But that is the case with Disarm.
Despite this lack of information, we agreed to ask about the task of writing a premiere about this new five-track EP from the quartet from The Silver City, a.k.a. Meriden, Connecticut. Hey, at the end of the day, the only thing that really matters is the music.
Opening with sparkly guitars reminiscent of early Jimmy Eat World, “Winter Harbor” eventually blooms into something grander and more grittier. Bordering on soft grunge at times — think the quieter moments of bands like Nine Black Alps or Bush — it meanders, bobbing and weaving as it progresses. Stylistically, there are glimmers of acts like Death Cab for Cutie as well as Heatmiser with a professional sheen, but also just the right amount of dirt. Shout out to Ryan Pelegano at the desk.
The second track “Set Fire” has decidedly more energy than the first. With spidery math-rock-inspired guitars and a very emotive sound overall, it feels like it edges into almost-emo territory. Reminiscent of Cursive or Hell Is For Heroes, there’s an earnestness to the wall of sound here that is infinitely endearing. Lyrically, it’s full of regret (“Lines were blurred in a mess of words / but in the end you left me reeling”) and redemption (“I’m out in the dark / setting fire to your memory”); this is heart-on-sleeve stuff.
This is followed by “Pure Blue”, which feels triumphant and celebratory from the outset. A widescreen intro gives way to a minimalist accompaniment in the opening verse, and we’re reminded of the Pixies’ well-documented mastery of dynamic range. The chorus is shouty and sincere, with the delivery of the lines “Wishing away good feeling / I wish it were easy to feel it” reminiscent of cult favourite British rock band Hundred Reasons (specifically their classic 2006 single The Chance).
“Illusionary” is up next. It starts with a ragged solo guitar before bursting into life. With lyrics that centre around loneliness (“A grand assembly / a room of friends just to make me feel empty”) and dread (“Four walls closing in and the options dwindling”), it’s rather despondent. But the pairing of the music with the words means you don’t actually realise this unless you delve a bit deeper. As it doubles down on the band’s aforementioned emo tendencies, it also feels indebted to early Foo Fighters; it features catchy rock riffs and huge, excellently realised instrumentation across the board. At over five minutes, it’s the epic centrepiece of the EP and exhibits the band at their anthemic apex.
The last song “Nobody Wins” combines the spirit of the first and the vibe of the penultimate track to perhaps end up being the best representation of the band’s cross section of sounds. Heartfelt and warm, it’s also gritty and hard, with the chorus being a particular highlight.
While still very much in their infancy as a band, we would suggest – based on the strength of the songwriting here – that Disarm has been doing this for a while. Having played their first show at the now legendary Porchfest last year, we think you can expect big things from Disarm. Take a listen to “Illusionary” from Silver City Songs below.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
