Sinai Vessel // Profanity

Last spring, I downloaded Sinai Vessel's Labor Pains after only hearing one song, but didn't fall in love with the music until I already had listened through a few times. It wasn't until I really engaged with the lyrics that I heard the songs for what they were. The songs on Labor Pains, released back in 2011, are wise and insightful.
Those who know me personally, know my strong affection for poetry. The quality of Sinai Vessel's lyrics has made me a fan for that reason.
A good song is a good song, but a great song is a poem--in my opinion.
Admittedly, I was curious about how Profanity would sound after the lyrical strength that came from their previous work.



To start: Profanity is great; I'm into it.
I have been trying to pin-point the change in their sound. Sinai Vessel is louder on Profanity than they were on the sweet, more mild-mannered Labor Pains. At first, I thought they had grown a little angry since 2011, but I'm not so sure that's the case. I think they have matured a lot. The power seems to me to come from some life experience and a solidified sense of who they are as individuals and as a band.

Just as I was hoping, they have pulled out a well-composed sound with relatable lyrics again. I'm glad I didn't find this band back in 2011 and that I didn't have to wait that long for new material. The download comes with the booklet with all their lyrics and I would recommend reading it as well as listening to better appreciate the songs.
They moved most away from Labor Pains with Cats, Cuckold, and Index On The Oval as far as the heightened power and sense of confidence is concerned, but my favorite track off of Profanity is Flannery. I am an avid reader of Flannery O'Connor and I really enjoyed their take on her short story, "Good Country People." It was a fresh perspective on a story that I hadn't read in awhile and had almost forgotten. My other favorite is Cats. I like it for personal reasons going back to what I think the song is getting towards, but I think it can be appreciated by people who come from a different background than me just as well. That is probably my biggest takeaway from the ep--it's relatable without being exclusive. Also, don't overlook Greatham for it's length because I think it says just as much as other songs on this ep.

I am thoroughly enjoying this album and will certainly have it on repeat during my commute to school and work for the next few weeks. I wish these guys the most success with this release and I know others will receive it with as much positivity as I have. I'm hoping these guys blow through DC sometime in the next year and they always have an open-invitation to crash at my apartment. I'm also hoping that they don't wait as long as they did to release more stuff...
Truly truly recommended; listen through this ep at least three times.