If you’ve been keeping up with our playlists or new release coverage, then you’re already familiar with The Safest Ledge. And if you’re not familiar, then I thank you for giving me the honor of introducing you to your next favorite band.
The Youngstown, Ohio natives recently dropped their new EP, The Space Between Words. If the songs they’ve released before the EP came out can be any indication of what to expect, then it’s safe to say that we’re about to dive into one of the top releases of the year.
Track One: “Amnesia”
“Amnesia” is the perfect way to guide the listener into this hard-hitting release. It’s a bit gentler than the other four tracks, but I can’t imagine a better way to introduce an audience to this release.
When I think of The Safest Ledge, I think of being surprised left and right by killer vocals and amazing instrumentals. They don’t throw everything at the listener right away, which I respect. So, “Amnesia” is the perfect way to get us excited to hear what else the band has planned for the EP.
Track Two: “Idontwannatalkaboutit”
Remember how I said The Safest Ledge likes to surprise you? “Idontwanntalkaboutit” is a wonderful example of this.
Right when you think you had settled into the calm, trace-like vibe “Amnesia” provides, “Idontwannatalkaboutit” is an unapologetic back and forth.
The chorus is intense (and what I expect will make this track a live-performance favorite among the fans). The song slows down at the end, but don’t get too comfortable — track three takes us for a wild ride at the climax of the EP.
Track Three: “Mountain Eyes”
“Mountain Eyes” is one of my favorite releases of 2020 so far. We gave it a review back in May, and it’s been a staple on each of my playlists ever since.
Everything that makes The Safest Ledge what they are is present in this track. Vocals that just get better and better as the song goes on? Check. Instrumentation that guides the listener along an emotional rollercoaster? Check. It’s pure, raw, catharsis in three and a half minutes.
Track Four: “Grey Matter”
“Grey Matter” allows the listener to come down from the intense, emotional high that “Mountain Eyes” provides. It doesn’t last for long though, because as The Safest Ledge does best, the chorus pulls us right back into it.
“Grey Matter” reminds me a bit of the post-hardcore anthems of the early 2010’s, but it wouldn’t be fair to compare it to any artist. What The Safest Ledge has created with The Space Between Words is so unique that you’d never truly understand what the music is like without listening to it yourself.
So, that being said, “Grey Matter” is nostalgic in all the best ways, while still managing to bring a newfound maturity to the genre.
Track Five: “Runaway”
What a way to end an EP.
While listening to “Runaway”, all I could think about was how much I needed to hear this song in a movie. You know that last big battle in an action or thriller film, where the hero gives it their all one last time? That’s what “Runaway” sounds like. The spoken word element in the bridge takes the track to the next level, making “Runaway” truly feel like an ending.
“Runaway” proves that you can pack a punch on your final song, rather than completely resolving the story of the EP.
It’s a realistic comparison to the emotional rollercoaster that The Space Between Words takes the listener on. Sometimes things end intensely. These super intense situations don’t always get wrapped up with a bow on top as if nothing happened. Instead, you see the end in sight, so you just let it all out.
The Space Between Words doesn’t end on a nice, soft, comforting note — and it doesn’t have to. The Safest Edge is keenly aware of that, which is why this EP works so well.
I stand by what I said back in May when I reviewed “Mountain Eyes”: The Safest Ledge are going to be big in this scene. Their approach to music is rare, and honestly something I’ve never seen before; it’s going to change the game.
They’ve seamlessly combined the best parts of post-hardcore and alternative rock, while twisting it into something that no one has ever created before. Taking a unique approach to a genre we all love, it won’t be long until The Safest Ledge becomes one of the top artists in the scene.
I highly recommend you listed to The Space Between Words. Sit down, put your headphones on, and just listen to it from start to finish. You’ll thank me later.
