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With all the bands popping up in every city around America there is one here in Lansing, MI that really stands out among the crowd. The band known as A Letter To You (ALTY) formed in high school a few years ago and has been playing the show after show ever since. The band is comprised of Drew Irwin (lead vocals/guitar), Dillon Gordon (guitar/vocals), Evan Rudman (drums), Trevor Bell (bass), and Jay Saper (piano).  This pop punk band has an easily likable sound that hints to great things to come. The fact that they sound this great early on really has me excited for the future. They currently have two EPs under their belt and an impressive live show. They are currently unsigned and hoping to find a label to help them get a full length album out. Until then enjoy their latest offering to their fans, the new EP, Aimless.

The EP opens with “Dreams”, a good choice that catches the attention immediately. The song has an epic quality to it that shows off the bands talent. The guitar intro’s catchy rhythm catches the ear and hooks you as the vocals kick in to reel you in. It’s a song that speaks of making your dreams coming true and lifts the soul just by listening to it. The title track, “Aimless” keeps the upbeat tempo going with its strong percussion blending nicely with the guitars. Drew’s excellent voice speaks to their listeners of the same question many of us ask, where will we be in the future? Sometimes it seems as though we are running blindly toward the future on an aimless headlong rush.

“All I Had” drops the tempo down slightly but brings it back up through out the song. The vocals really take command in this song with the music as a nicely blended background. This song will be wonderful to hear live. I suggest you take the chance if you can. “Open My Eye” makes good use of Jay’s piano as it flavors the entire song. Again the vocals show off in this song and stay strong as they drive the song. The song has brought the tempo of the album down nicely also as the midway of the EP has been reached. “Open My Eyes” transitions nicely into “Save You” as the tempo is brought down further. This song is a beautiful song for the in love fans as Drew sings of “saving you”. The song has some fairly simple lyrics compared to the rest of the album, but in this case it works very well and gets the point across. The ending of the song is perfect as the music stops and Drew lets out one more, “I wanna save you.”

“Life’s Just Fine” has a really catchy, sing-song beat that gets you tapping your foot. This is another great upbeat song that makes you smile even if you don’t want to. This is a song that needs to get out to the world and make it a brighter place. The song tries to make us realize that our lives are important and we should be thankful for what we have and wraps it in a very happy package that is sure to please. “Closer” is the song the band wrote first and according to Dillon set the tone for the entire EP. It’s a great finale to a wonderful collection of songs as it brings the tempo right back up and brings us full circle. The end of the song being mostly musical really seems to fit as a closer for the EP. I find myself wishing for more, but I’ll have to wait for the next EP or album.

The band really shows off with this EP. Everything about it is impressive. The lyrics and music are well written as well as every one in the band knows their part and plays it well. The EP keeps reminding me of bands of my high school days, such as Goo Goo Dolls and The Wallflowers. They have the makings to become a legend of their own one day. Take a few minutes and give them a listen to A Letter To You.

http://www.myspace.com/alettertoyou

Rating: 9/10

Top Tracks: Dreams, Save You, Life’s Just Fine

For Fans Of: My Favorite Highway, The Summer Set, Stars Of Track And Field, Ace Enders

Track List:

1. Dreams
2. Aimless
3. All I Had
4. Open My Eyes
5. Save You
6. Life’s Just Fine
7. Closer