The realm of pop rock has a massive talent pool full of bouncy hooks, angsty personas, and in most cases a prefab song structure template. Ocasan hits the ground running with its latest EP "Confessions", the third in a trilogy making up the band's second full-length album "Elixir". The trio aims its sonic firepower at the target of reinvigorating the genre with catchy, foot-tapping, heavy-hooked rocking pop.

The four song adventure begins with the pop-infused bouncefest "Invincible". Production for this EP is on point with bright, clear guitar tones, grooving bass lines and full, resonating percussion. Nick Burns sings and serenades with snugly-fitting vocals throughout the song including a strong and catchy chorus. There is definitely no shortage of likeable pop aspects packed within. "Invincible" bridges with light guitar picking and the vocal/drums buildup to the final chorus riding the down beat. If you're not tapping your foot please stop and check for a pulse.

"Dark Cloud" follows with a guitar riffing intro building into mid tempo rock strumming. Nick Burns' vocal lines in this song are top notch in tandem with walking baselines and quarter note bass drum beats. Backing vocal lines are also engaging within the chorus section making this the strongest song within this limited offering. Once again the hook locks in and carries the song with emotional grandeur and bass line acrobatics. The second track offers another bridge of vocal/drum pairing build up to a striking final chorus. Finishing the second track a creeping sensation of "been there, done that" enters the mind. Although, tone and subject matter differ between songs, the structuring grows too familiar and loses luster rather quickly.

"Confessions" closes out with the songs "Parasite" and the title track "Confessions". Ocasan does well showing off diversity with the slower chugging "Parasite" utilizing greasy bass lines and a somber vocal topics. This song presents a step outside the norm within the diminutive selection of the EP and does well to display some diversity from the verse, chorus, verse, chorus format. The title track "Confessions" reverts back to the pop-laden, vocal-driven familiar format from the first two songs. Once again, the riffing is compelling and the vocals are catchy and appealing to the ear, but locks back into the played out format. There just isn't much here to differentiate between other acts in the same vein signed with major labels touring across the world, which can be positive in that Ocasan is on the a path in line for joining the big league ranks. However, if you're looking for an EP to break the mold of pop-rock you'll not find it here.