music

Gloriana

The Way It Goes EP

As the music business struggles to keep up with the seismic changes in the economy in general and its own industry in particular, the growth of digital sales has opened up a few new avenues to getting attention for new artists. Some labels have begun selling albums digitally well before investing in a much more expensive physical CD release, and lately it’s all the rage to introduce new acts with a digital EP meant to whet appetites for a full album.
Gloriana’s digital-only The Way It Goes, a teaser for its upcoming self-titled debut album, is a prime example of how the format can be used effectively. The four songs give each member of the quartet a chance to step forward, while giving listeners a sense of the depth in their buoyant, harmony-drenched sound beyond the current hit “Wild at Heart” (which is included). Sometimes production clutter gets in the way of the music here, but The Way It Goes is nonetheless the sound of a talented group making a great first impression.

• June 22, 2009
• by Chris Neal