While Matt Lowell may have started out as a traditional singer/songwriter, he has transformed his music into a synth-heavy, electronic-influenced sound on his newest release, Drop Your Guns. Composed of just four tracks, this EP represents a departure from his previous work, but perhaps not the most successful one.

The songs may be different from Lowell’s earlier music, and as individual works, they are all strong and the singer’s voice is powerful, melodic and full of passion. Unfortunately, they are also far too similar to each other.

The synth sounds are not varied enough and the first three run into each other. The title track picks up a bit, but still feels like a variation on the two surrounding it. Also, on three of the songs, Lowell repeats the same phrase over and over in place of a chorus. Drop Your Guns feels repetitive and as a result, is rather boring. His emotion is almost tangible on final track “Better Alone”, the only one not overwrought with synths. Despite the strength of this finale, there is simply not enough range here to be a true overall success.

Final Words: Talented guy, but this EP is a bit of a yawn.