Since 2018, Estin and the 86’d has been serving Colorado’s Front Range catchy, country-tinged rock songs catalogued in the form of two full-length studio albums. Along the way they have provided the soundtrack to big, fun parties in the form of countless memorable live performances.
Now, the band has released another offering, but this time, Estin and the 86’d have a different story to tell.
The latest EP from Estin and the 86’d, Big News, still comes with the band’s previously established honesty, especially lyrically. This record echoes a new sense of maturity with less of the party attitude and more personal reflection.
The new five-song offering is arguably the best representation of the skills of each member of Estin and the 86’d to date. With cool, crunchy basslines from Wyatt Beck, heavy hitting yet contained drumwork from Tannen Brand, and big, driving rhythm guitar work from Josh Romero, Big News sits upon nothing short of a rock hard foundation.
The lead guitar work, provided by shredder Zach Shepard, is showcased throughout the disc with fast, intricate, yet not over-the-top or self indulgent solos that add a perfectly portioned amount of hot sauce to the catchy, rocking tracks.
The namesake of the band, Estin McGraw, appears to tell a story through the five tracks about heartbreak, loss, self-reflection, regret, and hope. The listener is taken through a journey as the protagonist appears to reflect on a failed relationship from start to finish, reflecting on his role in it in anguish while recognizing that although the process is painful; there’s still a light at the end of the tunnel.
Big News is easily the most rock-oriented effort from Estin and the 86’d and while many of the band’s earlier country influences have seemed to have gone by the wayside on the new disc. It is also arguably the catchiest and most polished record from the band to date.
Estin and the 86’d will be taking the stage at the Moxi Theater in Greeley on Saturday, April 11.
