When I think of Nashville, country music comes to mind. It's probably not a surprise to many of you since Nashville Tennessee is generally referred to as the country music capital of the world. With that being the main focus, I can see it hard for emerging punk influenced bands to get noticed. Free Throw plays emo infused rock and roll rather than the classic country twang. Recently signed to Count Your Lucky Stars, their four-song EP "Lavender Town" is meant to give a taste of what's to come when they release their full length later this summer. What's interesting is that this EP was originally self-released in April of 2013 and is being re-released as a re-mastered version this month (April 2014). I don't see the point in re-releasing something that barely strays from the original version. Also, this band hasn't been around too long. You can take a listen to the old version of "Lavender Town" on their bandcamp site (http://freethrowemo.bandcamp.com/). I prefer the 2013 version because its chalk full of Jason Segel bits from his time on the show "Undeclared".

This EP is like a musical sandwich when it comes to feel. It starts aggressive, ends aggressive and has the two softer songs in the middle. I was taken by surprise when I heard the opener, "Slam With The Best Or Jam With The Rest", in which the beginning made me think of Shook Ones. That thought faded quickly before the start of the next song. None the less, it's the highlight of this release for me because it's the most aggressive. For a band that's covered by the label emo, the vocals sure don't feel like it. They switch between a melodic yell and softer clean vocals that never feel whiny. Think along of the lines of the modern pop-punk style. The two middle tracks ease-off the aggression a bit. The second song "Lavender Town" definitely lags until the middle when the build-up takes place. Guitar tones tend to stay clean with a hint of grit which gives it more of a rock vibe. Sometimes it feels wimpy in certain parts but works when they're playing all out. It should be interesting to see what they do with the full length in terms of if the same format is followed. I sure hope they don't put any of the "Lavender Town" tracks on there; I don't think fans would be able to take another musical release with the same songs reissued.