Reaching the Boiling Point| Posted October 26, 2017
Boiling Point may be a late-year entry, but with Take Courage they may have one of the year's defining EPs on their hands. There hasn't been much on the calendar this year for rockheads, but Boiling Point's sound carries just enough guitar to be a treat for rock-starved ears. While the vocals and melodies pull the music more towards pop than many of their contemporaries, some of the driving vocals and crunchy guitars lift it firmly into the rock arena.
Opening cut "In It to Win It" is a singable pump-up anthem and instant attention-grabber. While there's a hint of the industrial electronic sound that's currently taking over rock, it's subservient to the guitars, not the other way around. This gives way to the poppier "Won't Let Go," which is still ridiculously catchy and energetic enough to keep things interesting.
"Run" balances chilling piano hook-based verses with a soaring chorus of God calling a wayward child home. Of all the tracks, this one is the most radio-ready, but in a good and crowd-pleasing way. "Once Again" is the first all-around ballad, and it's pulled off very well. It keeps the positive and faith-centered lyrics going, though it doesn't make quite the impression that its more energetic predecessors do. "To The End" and "My Hero" dial the energy back up some, although never quite recapturing the momentum of the earlier tracks. Still, they are strong offerings and fine closers to the EP.
I hadn't heard of Boiling Point previously, but I will keep my eye on them in the future. Their brand of edgier pop rock is sorely missed in the increasingly processed music scene. I do wish the lyrics dug a bit deeper than they do, but I came away satisfied with the overall project. At just 6 tracks, it's easy for listeners to invest the time in checking this one out.
The Bottom Line: On Take Courage, Boiling Point injects some quality energy into a year that sorely needs it, cementing their name as one to watch as we look for the next big thing.