There’s a scream and a yelp from Greeley Estates singer Ryan Zimmerman at the beginning of ‘In The Ashes’ which sounds just like Bert McCracken of The Used. In fact there are many moments where this band sound like The Used, especially when Bert and co are at their most aggressive. I can’t say ‘Go West Young Man Let The Evil Go East’ is a bad album because it’s not; but it is an album that really suffers from a lack of direction, influenced by too many other bands already doing the exact same thing but better.
There’s a level of predictability as the album progresses. The sing/scream/breakdown formula isn’t new and Greeley Estates are certainly stuck in 204 when it comes to the way they structure their songs. So if you’re a fan of pre-‘In Love and Death’ The Used then this band are definitely ones to check out. ‘Mother Nature Is A Terrorist’ and ‘Blue Morning’ are good, solid songs in a genre that’s not exactly flourishing with new talent anymore, but for all the band’s bluster and aggression, combined with a hint of melody, there’s nothing new here to suggest the band will have any kind of long-term impact. Or even a minor radio hit for that matter.