Philly's Run Away From the Humans (RAFTH) introduce themselves to the world with We Exist. The band is comprised of veteran musicians Jason McBride (best known for his DJ work in the Baltimore/DC area), guitarist Marc Chartier (of noisecore anti-heroes Jough Dawn Baker), and acoustic drummer Brian Romaniello. Obviously these guys come from some very different schools of music and I have to admit that I expected the worst. However We Exist turned out to be a somewhat pleasant surprise.
RAFTH has an odd sound that will mainly appeal to fans of experimental, melancholy indie rock. This EP could have easily found a home on a label like Jade Tree or Lovitt. It has the swagger of a band like Esther Drang and the cautious hope of a band like Onelinedrawing. For the most part the band sticks to the somewhat melancholic "woe is me" formula that has become a staple in independent music. While normally that's grounds for immediately writing a band off in my book, there is something sincere about RAFTH's delivery. While the sound may be a bit tiresome the band's delivery is believable. "Lost My Way" and "All That Was Left Were Ashes" are the highlights here. Both of these songs are catchy in their own special way and you find yourself humming along hours after hearing them. The inclusion of the redundant electronic loop of "Antarctica" ends the EP on an annoying note and certainly doesn't help it at all.
RAFTH definitely have potential. It's always hard to tell what a band can really do from an EP but there is enough here to make me interested in a full length. I don't think this EP is all that unique but it will undoubtedly boggle the minds of listeners who spend most of their time listening to million selling artists. All in all the quality here is good and the songs are pretty decent. This band isn't going to change your life but they'll give you a few minutes of pleasure.
2.5/4
