If you’ve been following the Movin’ On lineup news, you’ve probably heard by now that Mute Cities won Battle of the Bands and will open the annual spring music festival.

And if you are new to Mute Cities like I was, you’re probably wondering why this band is such a big deal. Well look (and listen) no further than to its debut EP “Strong Work” which dropped over the weekend.

The high energy EP kicks off with “Wide Awake,” which was my first official exposure to Mute Cities. Within the first few seconds, I immediately became a fan. The creativity that drips from the first track alone is enough to make me want to listen to more music that falls in this genre.

Though the album as a whole is amazing, the one that gets the affectionate title of my favorite Mute Cities song is “Salt.” Why, you may ask? I’ll give you one word – marimbas. If you can’t appreciate the use of the instrument within Mute Cities’ already great sound, then you haven’t been listening to music correctly. The marimbas are not used throughout the entire song so it’s not overdone. How can you not enjoy that unique sound over a great rock song?

“Monster” has that sing-along quality in both its lyrics and various vocal riffs throughout, while “Goliath” was the perfect ending to the EP. It’s hard to pinpoint which band to compare Mute Cities to, and that’s probably a good thing. Mute Cities carries a unique sound, and it wouldn’t be fair to compare it to any other musical act.

It’s evident that a lot of time was put into the EP, even though it’s only four songs long. The productions is flawless and the flow is effortless – before you know it, the ride ends as soon as it started, and you can’t wait to get back on it again. Mute Cities rises among the ranks of the many talented bands in State College, and its name will be on our lips for a while. If the band’s debut is this good, I can only imagine what they have in store for us at Movin’ On.