Bernard: A View Beyond the Cave EP Review

Floodgate Records continues to outdo themselves. Last year, The Myriad debuted with the incredibly impressive You Can't Trust A Ladder, a modern rock effort that continues to amaze a year later. In addition, the label also has boasted Denison Marrs in the past as well as current bands such as Cool Hand Luke and Forever Changed. Now, the next logical addition has arrived in the form of Florida-based band, Bernard.

Bernard has a sound comparable to Sleeping At Last on several of their songs, although there is more of an experimental feel overall. While much of the music is piano-driven, there are rougher edges around the melodies that make Bernard distinct in the music they create. On their debut EP, A View Beyond The Cave, the trio bring this euro-rock feel to the masses.

One of the best examples of this is found on "Reconcile Our Lives." Starting with a simple piano backdrop, singer Jonathan Berlin comes in with a melancholy vocal that is more removed than most, fitting for the dark music that Bernard is inclined to create. Eventually the song explodes to fill the space it had been creating the entire time.

"To Those Of This World" is another strong track on the EP, which comes in at 8 songs overall. The song is very British with its stated snare and moody keyboard arrangements. "Too Far" is perhaps the highlight of the album, which features Berlin singing "I feel the darkness taking me/I feel your light escaping me" as he sings of going "too far" as the title suggests. The lyrics are a part of this beautiful pop/rock composition that includes strong string arrangements.

A View Beyond The Cave is definitely an impressive debut and the EP only serves to notice the potential that is here. These young men, all in their early twenties, are poised to create stirring music for a long time