Sheetcake - Sheetcake EP

The four-piece Sheetcake got their start after meeting at an open mic night at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, and have now released their the eponymous six-cut EP.  This debut is an outstanding collection of indie pop and rock twith lush, textured instrumentation and catchy melodies.  “Butterflies” kicks the EP off and after a summery sounding intro with acoustic guitar and the sounds of birds, it shifts into a breezy indie pop gem with slight jazzy flourishes.  More of an indie pop tune, but with an underlying sense of tension, “Hands Tied” has a strong vocal performance from Kate Villiger and some great harmonies from her and Ryan Crothers.  With a swaying groove and some nice back and forth vocals, “I Don’t Mind” is a catchy, more laid-back track followed by the upbeat indie rock of “Before It’s Better,” which has some really nice textures in the guitar work and reflective lyrics.  “Mean It” is somewhat of a midtempo song but has more intensity and a guitar heavy rock edge.  Closing the EP is “Thinking Twice,” a beautiful, stripped down and introspective cut that also makes nice use of strings.  A very promising start from a band I hope to hear a lot more from.  

(Sheetcake - Instagram)