The Bay State Review: The Haunted EP

he Bay State is a 4 piece Pop Rock band from the state of Maine. It formed in 2004 as lead vocal/guitarist Tom Tash’s acoustic project. Quickly deciding that the band needed a full band sound, he reached out to high school best friend and former band mate, drummer Drew Hooke. During the summer of ’05 Tom and Drew began to fill in the additional spots in the band with members that would come and go; but from the mix came violist, Evan James. For the next two years the band worked hard to constantly tour, knowing that they had a lot of work to do to get the word out. In 2006, long time friend and supporter Susanne Gerry began working with the band as merch person. Then, in 2008, the band found themselves without a bassist, Within weeks, Susanne stepped up, completely learned the instrument, and took her place as the 4th member of The Bay State. Since its formation, the band has been the featured Unsigned Band on The Gunz Show on Idobi radio to over 100,000 listeners, They were also the featured Buzz band on The Daily Chorus, They recorded 2008’s “Let’s Turn This City On” EP with esteemed producer Paul Leavitt (All Tim Low, Senses Fail, Mercy Mercedes), The Bay State have shared the stage with amazing bands like Brighten, Danger Radio, Farewell, Sparks The Rescue, Red Car Wire, Holiday Parade, We Shot The Moon, The Cab, Mercy Mercedes, Zox, As Cities Burn, Tamarama (MTV), I Am The Pilot, along with many others! Recently, The Bay State was granted a sponsorship by the well-established clothing company, Glamour Kills, with the song “Hey Hey Glamour Kills”. They were also added to four dates at the Take Heart tent at the 2009 Warped Tour. Using this momentum, as well as their constantly growing list of show dates, the band hopes to take their place in the music scene. They’re currently working on a new EP for the fall, and believe in supplying their fans with new material as often as possible! Keep an eye on The Bay State, They’ve been working harder than ever and are ready to explode!

Review:
Their newest five-song album, “The Haunted EP” is a great addition to anyone’s musical library. The Bay State has composed five solid songs that can be enjoyed by everyone, despite their favorite musical genre.

The singing in “Liars” by Susanne Gerry rivals Haley Williams from alternative rock band, Paramore. “Haunted” sung by Tom Tash, closely compares to the vocalists in the Plain White T’s and All Time Low. Even though these two songs are about negative topics, the band purposely tries to remain positive. “I wrote both of them at very different times, but they both represent very lonely times,” Tash said in an exclusive interview with FanBolt. “So, to counter act the lyrical content, I tried to write upbeat happy music. It’s not always easy, but I don’t want to be a bummer to listen to.”

Fans will enjoy the Bay State’s songs because they are the complete opposite of depressing. Their song, “Hey Hey Glamour Kills” is an upbeat dance song that reminds me of something I have heard of in European clubs, but without the annoying repetitive bass line. During this song they prove their band’s versatility by giving electro music band 3OH!3 a run for their money.

Even though the EP only has five songs, it showcases the wide-range of musical talent that this band has.

“We’ve always tried very hard to reinvent our sound, in some way, on every recording,” Tash. “Music should be interesting and different all the time.”

“The Haunted EP” is available though most major online digital music stores such as iTunes and Amazon and is a great value for $4.95.

“We have physical CD’s available at our shows,” Tash said. “[CD’s are also available] at select local New England stores as well as through our online District Lines store starting in a few weeks.”

The Bay State is busy planning on writing and releasing more song and touring throughout the next few years.

“We’ll be hitting the road hard in 2010,” Tash said. “We’re already putting together three tours in the first three months of the year and plan to cover the entire country by 2011.”

Review by Kimberly Gallagher

Grade: A
Official site: http://www.myspace.com/thebaystate
Buy on Amazon: The Bay State