I've been listening to The Reel's music for years now. I fell in love with their acoustic style and sincere lyrics. I bought their first CD, Come Alive Ch. 1 and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was recorded full band. When I saw them live, The Reel was just two guys, Cameron Stymeist and Curtis Van Winkle, with their acoustic guitars. They later decided to be a full band, adding Christian Midthum, Kevin Balzer, and Jacob Ricketts. 

Loving their first CD so much, I was really excited when I heard they were writing new music and coming out with an EP. I had very high expectations, and The Reel's Stars EP has definitely lived up to those expectations.

The EP starts off with an intro song, "Who We Are"; it has a calm, relaxing feel about it. The intro starts with lead singer Cameron's voice, piano, synth, and soft electric sound, and then BAM, "Stars" comes on. My immediate reaction was to blast the volume, and of course I couldn't help myself but dance a little. Just when I thought I was done dancing...I wasn't.  The next song came on, called "Robot."  It's super catchy with the chorus, "Am I in love with a Robot?" When this song comes on, I guarantee you'll be singing along too. 

After two "dance along songs," an acoustic song, "Made For You," follows, which is my absolute favorite song on their EP. This song shows Cameron's range beautifully, and I feel this song is the turning point on the EP, transitioning to what the rest of the EP sounds like, which brings us to their new song "Time Of Your Life." This song lifts my spirits, and I guarantee you can't help but bob your head, tap your foot, clap your hands, and of course, sing along too.

The next song, "Alisha's Song,"  is an absolutely beautiful song played on piano. When this song first came on, I literally stopped everything I was doing and listened to every note, every lyric, every sound. It's such a beautiful song, and I feel like a lot of people will be touched and be able to relate and be able to interpret it in their own way that will make it special to them. 

The EP concludes with the song "Broken Story." Knowing a little bit about the background of this song and why they wrote it makes me appreciate it so much more. Of course you can interpret this song in your own way, but I suggest if you ever get the chance to talk to or message one of The Reel members, ask about the meaning behind the song. 

From the Intro song, "Who We Are," to the last song, "Broken Story," they created music and wrote beautiful lyrics that are meaningful and genuine. I loved their first CD, and even though their EP sounds different, I love them both. They are both great in their own ways, and overall, I can't say anything bad about this EP. I can't wait until their full length album comes out! Make sure you see them live; they'll blow your minds!