Australian readers have probably already heard of Yours Truly since their debut in 2020 did pretty well down there. Outside of the US though Yours Truly are still just beginning to break ground. This week they released a new EP, Is This What I Look Like, and it has captured my attention in all the ways I did'nt expect.

Walk Over My Grave is a powerful opener. Mikaila sounding like Hayley Williams back in 2007 - I'm sure this comparison is going to get old. Disappointingly this opener does lack the memorable hook that many of the other tracks have but that's a minor criticism and potentially a matter of opinion. It's a heavy tune with fast, aggressive guitar, relentless rhythms from drummer Bradley Cronan and unexpected breakdowns. It's easy to think you know what's coming for the remaining 16 minutes after this track but don't be fooled.

Careless Kind was released as a single earlier this month and is a slightly gentler offering. The track opens with layered vocals and a simple, defined riff. A muted guitar then makes way for the bass line to bring the song in to the chorus. Here is a much finer example of the Halestorm-esque hooks that this band is capable of. The track ends a bit prematurely but it's got the makings of a radio hit in every way. No reason why this shouldn't do well with a US audience on the West Coast.

Careless Kind is followed up by the title track which starts out as a programmed drum and bass rhythm with scratch effects. The whole tune has much more electronic production than the rest of the EP with endless vocal effects chopped up and layered, repeated echoing guitar and a bass drum that has moved away from the shotgun sound of the earlier tracks and is now a machine gun. The transition to the following track Hallucinate is absolutely flawless and without looking at the listing you will miss it first time.

Hallucinate is the shining star of this EP and deserves to be shouted about. It features guest vocals from Josh Franceschi of You Me At Six and that collaboration could not have gone any better. His voice fits perfectly and he sounds like a full time member of the band. The electronic effects carry over from the title track but the whole band are at play here with Mikaila scoring 10s all the way through, the guitar is magnificent and the drums follow the lay of Franchesci's voice in a way I can't explain. This should have been a hit.

The EP ends with Lights On which falls a little short for me. The composition is incredibly poppy, the lyrics include a few too many oh-ohs but at least it has a hook that you'll be singing for days! A lacklustre ending to the record doesn't matter too much when the rest of the offering is the quality it is. I strongly recommend giving this a listen and I will be digging in to the prior releases by Yours Truly as well.