Toronto-based indie-rock quartet Valley is back and better than ever! The quartet formed in their freshman year of college and has been releasing alternative pop perfection ever since. The band consists of vocalist Rob Laska, guitarist Michael Brandolino, bassist Alex DiMauro, and drummer and vocalist Karah James. A year and some change after their debut full-length album Maybe, the band is back with an EP titled sucks to see you doing better.
The EP begins with the title track “sucks to see you doing better” and immediately we are drawn into Valley’s world. The track clearly has indie punk influences from the guitar stylings of the first chorus, but doesn’t forget its pop roots with the unconventional beat. The song is relatable to say the least, detailing the feelings of seeing your ex clearly over you. They are everywhere and you can’t escape it. Laska and James’ vocals blend together seamlessly, while Brandolino’s guitar riffs carry the song. The bridge of the song is incredibly personal, ending with the all-too known feeling of having “been dying since the day I was born” as your mental health deteriorates. It’s refreshingly honest in a world full of fake smiles and planned-candids.
The second song, “nevermind”, was the first single of the EP. DiMauro’s bass groove underneath Laska’s vocals keep the song energetic despite the sad lyrics. This song makes it clear that DiMauro and James make a great rhythm section. Lyrically, the song is about never feeling satiated with real life, preferring to live in your own fantasy or “a 90s movie where things just happen so easy.” Valley are honest about the effects of depression and the numbness that comes with it and we thank them for voicing what a lot of us have been feeling, especially during quarantine.
Next on the EP is “homebody”, a song for those who can’t find the motivation to leave the house. This song is slower than the two before it, but the rhythm works to the song’s advantage. With “no need to touch my car keys,” Valley says what we’ve all been thinking over these past few months and even before then. They sing about living in your head and through your friends’ Instagram stories, where “nobody gets to know” you. The outro of the song makes it feel like people are coming from every direction, talking to you and overwhelming you just to remind you why you would rather be a homebody.
“BE THE ONE” is the only track on this EP with a capitalized title, making it stand out. Back to their indie-pop roots, this track is lively as ever. It’s clear that Valley has been burned before as Laska sings “everyone’s scared of something, security / somebody’s always leavin’, even when you need ‘em.” The song is all about self-sacrifice, preferring to be the one that ends up with a broken heart because you can’t stand the thought of the other being hurt. The bridge of the song is muffled by filters and music, but the honesty is refreshing as Laska sings “my therapist Wendy knows your name / I’m starting to hate myself this way.” They break the pop formula, opting to cut right to an outro filled with cut up vocals and distant guitar riffs. Overall, this track is the highlight of the EP for its pure honesty.
The final track is “hiccup”, a song about grieving a lost relationship. Valley describes hiccups as “little texts your mind receives with attachments of photos, memories, and locations,” reminders that you can’t turn off. Within the first verse, we get the heartwrenching lyric of “if I could have anybody, you know that it would be you,” a lyric full of regret. The relationship in the song has communication issues, evident with the lyrics of wishing they could “put my emotions in a box like you do.” Valley reiterates that “it’s always been you,” showing that it’s still raw. The title of the song doesn’t come up until the outro as they sing “we hit a roadblock and a hiccup / you went on with your life / you never listened / we really fucked up this time.” The reflection and hurt in the lyrics is a perfect close for the EP.
The EP features an acoustic version of “hiccup”, stripped back of all of its pop-production. It’s simple, letting the lyrics speak for themselves with some piano, guitar, and a steady beat. A big difference in the two versions of the song is how they cut the last two lines of the song, ending with “we hit a roadblock and a hiccup / you went on with your life.”
sucks to see you doing better is a fantastic followup to Maybe. It’s clear that Valley has matured in both sound and storytelling, following the journey of heartbreak and depression through the six tracks. Overall, this EP shows Valley’s growth since their first EP and it’s clear that inspiration has struck them during the shutdown. We can’t wait to see these songs (eventually) come to life on stage. Stream the EP below!
