Loveinreverse is a trio from New Jersey who have just released their first EP, I Was Dog. They have a style ranging from soft and dreamy to a forceful, from-the-gut approach. They claim film influences them as much as music does which is not an everyday citation. Loveinreverse are billed as a rock band but most of their songs seem in the alternative column. Regardless, they have a 300 song backlog, so they plan to be around awhile.
Here's who they are: Mike Ferentino (singer, guitarist), Andres Karu (bassist), and Dave Halpern (drummer). Ferentino and Karu have known each other since their first school days, and they have been working together eight years with Halpern joining up last year. The band's first appearances were under the name Dog, thus explaining the EP title. The name Loveinreverse indicates the band's goal of trying to capture the idea of opposition and contradiction. This theme is seen in the tracks and across the EP.
For example, the EP has dreamy, almost psychedelic melodies and lyrics ("Romantic Age") as well as aggressive guitars and forceful lyrics on "I'm A Contradiction". "I'm A Contradiction" follows "Romantic Age" on the EP underscoring the point of opposites. The floating, dreamy songs have echoes of Suede while the others can sound like Jane's Addiction or Smashing Pumpkins on occasion. Ferentino's vocals get a special mention with "Solo Flight" showing these to best advantage.
Loveinreverse has a good chance of breaking through, big. Increased emphasis on those slower, dreamy songs and lyrics can only help. I'm looking forward to their first full length release.
