I can say with confidence that there is not a single bad song on this EP, which is more than I can say for some infinitely more popular records, even from the most reputable artists. Though I’ve withheld a perfect score, given that one or two of the songs are noticeably lesser than the others, that disparity of quality is not at all enough to take away from the overall quality of said songs, let alone the entire record.

My biggest complaint with Lily Enos is the flow between the different songs. The songs themselves are not the problem, but rather how there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of thought about which songs were placed on the record, and in which order. Each song has a relatively unique style that appears disconnected from the one before and after it. It’s not a complete failure, though; thematically, the songs go together rather well. But the way that it goes from lo-fi to country-ish rock to rock-ish country isn’t very seamless either.

From a technical aspect, Lily Enos is masterfully put together. Enos has a borderline angelic voice, bold enough to please the most attentive music fanatics, yet low-key enough to be suitable for the casual/passive listener as well. The instrumentals are not to be ignored, either; including delightful and harmonic melodies that are so good that they could work as their own songs, even without the vocals. The team that put this record together deserves top marks, especially considering how much work and effort I’m told it took.

Lily Enos has a fine display of lyricism, including lyrics with substantial poetic value and musical finesse. The lyrics fit their respective tracks very well, and they don’t try too hard to tell some sort of convoluted story, nor are they too repetitive or drab. My biggest gripe is that, since Enos is ostensibly rather soft-spoken, the lyrics can be hard to understand at times, and might be off-putting to some.

This is a really fine EP, and one that I think many more people should know about. It’s friendly and easy to listen to, and perfect for coffee shops, radio  stations, or casual friend group meetups. It’s the kind of album you aren’t afraid to play loudly in the car, zoning out with a loved one. Though it’s not exactly the “you guys really gotta see this!” album that would earn a perfect score in this category, it is still something that can be admired by a wide audience.

As a whole, Lily Enos is rather middle-of-the-road when it comes to replay value. This is because, while one or two of the songs are definitely repeat-worthy, the others are rather plain, making it easy for one to listen to those tracks once and forget about them. Rest assured, though, that this doesn’t noticeably degrade the listening experience overall.

I have mixed feelings about the originality factor of this record. The lyrics are fresh and entertaining, giving the listeners a lot to think about, and the melodies are well-done. But for some reason, overall, they don’t accomplish a lot that I would deem “original” per se. If you were to separate each part of the song and then judge those based on their individual originality, they might fare better or worse. But, looking at the bigger picture, not a lot is done in a different way than most other artists would do them.

The introductory track on the record, Redo without a doubt steals the show. It perfectly encapsulates everything I love about the other songs into one beautiful arrangement. It’s pleasant and relaxing, yet distinct, and includes plenty of the delightful vocals that I love so much. It’s also catchy; I found myself humming along to the chorus for hours after listening. If you don’t listen to any other of these songs, please listen to this one.

My analysis of the songs’ overall quality is approximately the same as my analysis of the record as a whole They aren’t good enough to be considered god, but they aren’t bad enough to be considered bad. The bad elements breakeven with the good ones, leading to what amounts to tracks that are just “okay”. Though there is some divergence with the individual quality of particular songs, both positive and negative, none is enough to push the score up or down any substantial amount.

Though not inherently bad, per se, there appears to be very little rhyme or reason as to the specific ordering of the particular tracks included in this record. Each song has its own distinct style to it that is only loosely related to the other songs. The only reasoning I can think of is that they wanted to include variety of songs that showcase the general sound across the full album. If that’s the case, that’s fair enough, which is why I’ve withheld a score of 1.

Different elements to the songs seem to have differing levels of quality. The instrumentals, though slightly dissonant ant times, are generally likable and well-done. The vocals, however, could use could use some work; they have an amateur, untrained sound to them, enough to lower the overall quality of some of the songs. Honestly, if the producer went back and EQed the tracks a little more carefully, and the vocalists spent a little more time practicing and honing their craft, then I would certainly give a much higher score in this category.

The lyrics, in my opinion, are the defining aspect of the record. Walker has a particular knack for lyricism, creating verses that are catchy and entertaining while also maintaining their poetic merit. Though perhaps coming off as simple and superficial, the word choice and melodic composition give the songs a certain charm to them that’s hard to describe. They’re beautiful in their simplicity, and don’t seem to be trying too hard to emulate any particular style.

In its current form, “Tour Is Not A Road Trip” is nothing especially remarkable. I have withheld a sore of 1 because there is still plenty of artistic potential contained within, just waiting to be released. If things were covered by more experienced musicians, or perhaps touched up and redome a little more professionally, I could really see these songs becoming hits.

I realized that my analysis of the replay value turns out to be almost identical to that of the “Tell-a-friend” category. I don’t have much to add, so I will just copy and paste that text here. “In its current form, “Tour Is Not A Road Trip” is nothing especially remarkable. I have withheld a sore of 1 because there is still plenty of artistic potential contained within, just waiting to be released. If things were covered by more experienced musicians, or perhaps touched up and redome a little more professionally, I could really see these songs becoming hits.”

Due to the overwhelming average-ness of the record, I can’t point to any one thing that I would classify as original. It just sounds like rock music; no more, no less. Though some elements are indeed quite well-done, they are not executed in a way that is particularly unique in any major way.

DIY Or Die is the undisputable standout out of all the tracks included in this LP. The first song on the record, though presumably the second song on the upcoming album, this was a great choice to include among the other songs. Though it still carries some of the flaws associated with the other three tracks, this one manages to overcome them with its catchy melodies and stellar lyrics. I found myself humming along to the tune of the chorus for the rest of the day after I was done listening. If you don’t listen to any of the other songs, at least listen to this one.