William Ryan Key Delivers Personal "Virtues" EP

Ever since he launched his solo career following the disbandment of Yellowcard, William Ryan Key has been slowly but surely dishing out new material. Back with his second EP of the year, William Ryan Key delivers the personal Virtues EP, providing a nice showcase of his indie capabilities.

Virtues kicks off sweetly with the instrumental track ‘The Same Destination,’ bringing the record to an agreeable and warm start. The same sweetness is found in the following track ‘Mortar and Stone,’ this time with Key’s vocals and a warm, nice build. The more alternative ‘Downtown (Up North)‘ later on the record shares a similar vibe, though the lyrics are far more allegorical and personal. The gentle ‘The Bowery‘ shows a softer side to Key’s voice, closing track ‘No More, No Less‘ initially being similar as Key sings alongside a looped guitar riff and a vocoder. The beautiful track eventually builds into this emotional, climactic track the ends things off with flair. The only track that falls short is title track ‘Virtue,’ which has drums that just seem to be off and ends up throwing the rest of the track off as well.

William Ryan Key delivers the personal Virtues EP to further show his capabilities as a solo artist. As his discography slowly expands, we’re getting a better understanding of what he can do - and he’s proving that he may just be more diverse than many will give him credit for.

Favorite Track: No More, No Less

Least Favorite Track: Virtue

Rating: 75 / 100

Stream or buy Virtues on Apple Music, and follow our 2018 Playlist on Spotify: