Hidden In Plain View

Posted Mar 31, 2007, by tim .



Hidden In Plain View’s self-titled EP was released in 2003, Hidden In Plain View’s final EP before they came out with their full-length Life In Dreaming. A product of Drive Thru Records. Along with bands like Something Corporate, Hellogoodbye, Steel Train, The Early November and Halifax. Here is a list of the short tracks (no track over 4 minutes) I think the EP is about 17 minutes total. Even though it is short its quality work.

Track #1 Shamans Witches Magic
Some of the best things about Hidden In Plain View is their ability to do lots of layering of tracks, having multiple vocals and guitar tracks all that the same time. Shamans Witches Magic is a perfect example for of this. Very guitar rips along with the brilliant lyrics song by lead singer Joe Reo and backup vocals by Rob Freeman. The song has awesome lyrics about the world coming to an end. “No one sleeps tonight til everything is burned and everyone is sacrificed.” Also one of my favorite lines in Shamans Witches Magic “What’s left of the dreams we had, what’s left of the hoped we had… there’s nothing at all.” The vocals are preformed very well, Overall the best song on the EP.

Track #2 The Chaser
The Chaser starts out different then the previous song Shamans Witches Magic but the singing and lyrics more than make up for it. The Chaser is a good example of HIPV’s style of starting off slow and then 30 seconds into the song the style changing into an upbeat, strong lyric based song. Having a slower break in the middle of the song really makes Hidden In Plain View’s songs different then any other edgier alternative rock bands out there. Best lyric in the song is the ending of the song were it changed from slow soft lyrics into screaming to end the song. “So don’t wait for me, I’m sorry ill be gone next summer, so don’t wait for me, so please don’t go, DON’T GOOOOOOO.”

Track #3 Where the Highways End
“You could hear a whisper in the wind” sung in a soft, almost acoustic with slow drum beats and bass player Chris Amato helping with steady soft hits on his bass guitar. This song is the slowest on the EP. Where the Highways End really stands out showing off the musicians talents in all fields of music.

Track #4 Belly Full of Kerosene
Belly Full of Kerosene is the heaviest track on the self-titled EP, and it shows it right from the start with a good drum solo showing off Spencer Peterson’s abilities on the drums. The lyrics might lack a little in the song but the drums and partial screaming lyrics make up for the lack of great lyrics compared to other HIPV tracks.

Track #5 Twenty Below
Twenty Below shows the skill Hidden in Plain View has to offer the music world. It starts off very slow, with only a slight drumming sound in the back round with slow lyrics by Joe Reo then when a little hint of screaming comes in during the first verse, you can sense the song starting to pick up, then it becomes an upbeat, fast verse. Throughout the song HIPV depicts just how underrated they really are! With fantastic lyrics, a catchy sound different from other similar alternative bands, and having strong upbeat songs but being able to slow it down and really show off there skills.

Overall, this EP was a great start for Hidden in Plain View. HIPV released a full length album nearly 3 years later and is a setup from this EP. Life in Dreaming released in February of 2005. Since the release of that album Hidden in Plain View has gone there separate ways with Rob Freeman producing for other artist such as Houston Calls and The Fallback. Rob also has started a solo-project The Pilot. So go check them out! If you like the backup vocals in HIPV and the softer side of HIPV then you will love The Pilot. www.myspace.com/thepilotmusic. Look out for Joe and the rest of the gang to form other bands as well. Also, if you want more HIPV they are releasing a limited amount of albums of there newest cd coming this summer even though they have dismantled.