
We open up with "Lone Wolf" and immediately we can see the influence of PVRIS on the five-piece...the electronic tones coupled with the up-beat alternative rock, layered well over Linda Battilani's passionate vocals, it speaks of integrity and independence...it's got some brilliantly catchy pop-hooks and this is a superb intro. The party doesn't stop there either, with "Mayday" providing another infectious track with elements of YOU ME AT SIX at it's core, it's got pop-rock anthem written all over it and quite frankly Josh Francheschi wishes the latest YMAS album has something this enjoyable anywhere near it. Sort of, sharing title-track duty to some degree; "Half Alive" and "Empty Room" are both fine examples of more melodic, catchy alternative pop-rock giving the listener plenty to dance along with...the former will easily appeal to fans of AGAINST THE CURRENT.
The band aren't always full throttle however, with tracks such as "Echo" and the closing number "Collide" having characteristics of all the aforementioned artists but with also a slight touch of ANAVAE for a more a subdued listen; not breaking away too far from their own sound but diversifying just enough to add a different dynamic to the album, finding the right balance between highs and lows, light and dark etc...it shows a touch more depth in their song writing qualities that can appeal to even more listeners which would go towards explaining their pledge campaign success, they have a broad market and to be perfectly honest, that's fantastic; the more bridges you can gap the more likely you are to find success in today's cut-throat industry. At eight tracks in length, this debut is essentially a lengthy EP but not quite confident enough to be a fully committed album, so we'll settle for a mini-album here, but while in limbo in regards to what it falls under, we can't overlook the fact it's an incredible debut...Halflives by name but certainly not by nature, they're really going for this and it shows in the sheer enjoyment of this record from start to finish...the rooms aren't empty at all, they are full of tunes. [7]