We Were Sons: We Were Sons EP

We Were Sons is an indie/electro-pop project by Cameron Moder (vocals) and Andrew Brand (instrumentals) from Idaho. Explaining their name, they write “The name ‘We Were Sons’ echoes the stages of the ‘rites of passage’ we go through when growing up. In the beginning we are sons and daughters, with bright eyes filled with hope and expectation of what our lives will become.”

The most apt way to begin talking about the We Were Sons EP would probably be by mentioning how Andrew Brand’s production is nothing short of wizardry. Take the opener, Cities, for example, where he creates a sparse beat and harmony that magnify Cameron Moder’s vocals while at the same time draw us into a desolate, dreamy aura. On the other hand, the following Feel Alive Again, the only non-ballad on the EP and easily its best track, feature Brand giving us a downright infectious retro-style club banger.

Thematically, the songs from the EP are meant to “call back the sweet memories of youth, and resign to the notion that life ends when we fail.” Moder’s lyrics give us a healthy dose of nostalgia and melancholy through most of the record, which are only intensified by the stellar, atmospheric production. “All of those drives/ to cities we don’t know the names of/ All of those gambles/ And chances we took, chances we took” Moder reminisces in his mellow voice, on Cities.