Cliffhanger – “Cliffhanger” EP
Cliffhanger is a five piece Pop Punk band out of Chicago, Illinois. In early 2020, they released their self-titled project, “Cliffhanger”, packed with seven powerful tracks that you will have on repeat for the foreseeable future. The EP is filled with amazing vocals that will have you singing along and fast paced instrumentals that will have you moving nonstop! Since the band dropped the EP, it has accumulated over 100,000 streams and there are no signs of slowing down. Cliffhanger is here to stay!
I spoke with members of the band about the new EP and they gave us an amazing insight into the new music. “Internal and external battles are the common theme on ‘Cliffhanger.’ The band focuses on confrontations that arise from growing up, coping with loss, finding self-awareness, and contending with the present political landscape.” Drummer Mike Licari said, “Each song on ‘Cliffhanger’ has a deep personal meaning. We like to describe this EP as a true representation of who Cliffhanger is, which is why we decided to have an eponymous title. We didn’t have any outside producer offering suggestions or telling us what to do. What you hear on the recordings is the result of 5 guys writing music true to themselves.” Nowadays, many musicians seem to think that you can only produce quality content if you use big named producers and recording studios. I love that Cliffhanger didn’t go that route and wrote/recorded music that was exactly what they wanted. The band went into the process they take when writing and recording music. “Our writing process usually takes a while because once we have a song, we continually critique it and find ways we can improve upon it. Our goals are to write quality songs that we’re passionate about and that we would want to listen to. We want to be fans of our own band. Ways we do that are through incorporating catchy melodies, incorporate lead guitars, and have exciting drum beats.” The level of passion these guys show in their writing alone should have everyone pumped to listen to the new EP!
Cliffhanger starts off the EP with “The Oaks”. Vocalist Matt Meindl shares, “The Oaks’ is about when I was in college. I felt as if I didn’t belong because I wasn’t focused on playing music. Creating music had always been a huge priority growing up, but no one at college even knew about my musical background. It was very disheartening, but I was able to stay rooted and true to myself. Even in times where I felt like I was disassociating myself from my past, I kept my focus to follow my passion.” The second the song began, I was immediately captivated. The fast power chords and drumming had me bouncing around my house like I was on fire. The instrumentals remind me so much of an early Four Year Strong song and I am here for it! The song ends with a heavier style that incorporates powerful chords and gang style vocals that will make everyone scream and dance along. “And if, I can’t, show you what it’s all about, then just tell me you gave it a try. What’s that, I see, no more damn complaints! Here’s to many more times.”
Cliffhanger continues the EP with “Diane”. Vocalist Matt Meindl reflects, “‘Diane’ is an extremely personal song for me as it is named after my late mother. She passed away when I was young and I often had to deal with being alone. I had to learn to grow up fast while keeping a level head.” This is one of my favorite songs on the EP. Many of us have suffered a loss early in our lives and will relate to the lyrics that Matt sings. The guitar chords remind me of a mix between a New Found Glory and a Senses Fail song. I love that a song with such a personal backstory can have an upbeat and positive impact on a listener. Matt ends the song with the perfect vocals; “Grow up fast it’s your only chance, independence it is bliss. Life ahead doesn’t seem to end, seem to end. Imagine my life as a movie, I found my way outside of this hole. Here comes reality where you call it madness but I call it victory.”
The Self-Titled EP continues on with “After Sunrise” and “Hollowed Out”. The band stated, “Infectious and chock-full of lightning fast power chords, “After Sunrise” captures the essence of longing for summer as the seasons change. The lyrics focus on battling the harsh winter to stay up all night with their friends and loved ones.” Guitarist Mike Centracco continued, “We wrote ‘After Sunrise’ last year when Chicago was hit with one of many arctic blasts. We would trek through this freezing weather to write new music together. We thought it was ironic that we were writing such an upbeat, summer-sounding song in the frigid weather. We related the lyrics to our situation at the time instead and kept the music energetic.” I think this song was an amazing addition, especially with the current state of the world. Most of us have been stuck at home during COVID, itching for the chance to be outside in nice weather. Cliffhanger created a song that is brimming with instrumentals that reminds me of a song I’d be going wild to at Warped Tour on a beautiful summer day. The band captured the essence of summer in a quick three minute track! The vocals end with a nod to summer; “The city’s shutdown and I can’t wait to stay with you for days. ’Til the morning comes, when the days are long and we wait for the rising sun. Singing along to all our favorite songs, ’til the morning comes, fall asleep at the break of dawn.”
“Hollowed Out” comes up next and it is a fan favorite. Currently, the song is the second most streamed song on Cliffhanger’s Spotify, and for good reason! This song is a god damn jam! Cliffhanger shared that a big influence for the band is Blink 182, and it is evident on this song. The instrumentals and vocals are reminiscent of an early Blink song with Cliffhanger’s own modern twist. I can picture the crowds going insane to this song at a Cliffhanger show and cannot wait to experience it for myself!
There are still three tracks left, but I can’t give away everything! Cliffhanger proved to the Pop Punk community that they are ready to take on the music world with this new EP. Make sure you stay up to date with their social media, and check out song’s from the EP on the blog’s Spotify playlist: After Hours Review!