Dave Melillo, "Talk is Cheap" EP (4.5/5)

A lot of people have wondered why Drive-Thru Records chose to sign Dave Melillo, a young, 17-year-old musician from Kissimmee, Florida, to their label last year. With the release of Melillo’s first EP, titled “Talk Is Cheap”, all of their questions will most likely be clearly answered.

The “Talk Is Cheap” EP was first made available on MTVu.com for free download for a month (starting April 18, 2006), so that fans could get the album without having to “illegally acquire” it over the Internet before it was put in stores. The regular storewide release for the EP was set to be about 2 months later.

Dave Melillo blends the acoustic rawness of Dashboard Confessional with the similar rocky beats of label mates The Early November, thus leaving him with an appealing sound that is both unique and familiar, all at the same time. For his first official release, this EP is surprisingly excellent. Even after listening to it 3 times, I was still enamored with its delightful melodies and smooth mixture of instruments.

With an initial EP this impressive, I can’t hardly imagine how his full length will sound.

Favorite Track - Morris County Blues



Reviewed By: Cathy