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Running on What’s Left: Still Stayer - All Heart / No Brakes (EP Review) Released: 11/24/23

 


All Heart / No Brakes feels like a late‑night drive with too much on your mind and no intention of slowing down. As a Vibecore act from Milwaukee, WI, Still Stayer leans into that blend of emotional urgency and melodic heaviness that defines the genre, and the lineup: Christopher Davis, Marcus Czaplewski, Travis Vrba, and Luke Steffens bring a clarity of vision that makes this EP hit harder than its runtime suggests. From the opening moments, there’s a sense that the band isn’t just performing these songs; they’re working through something, pushing forward even when the weight behind them threatens to pull them under.

Across the project, the emotional pacing feels deliberate. Each track carries its own shade of vulnerability, whether it’s frustration, longing, or the quiet exhaustion that comes from trying to hold yourself together. The vocals land with a raw sincerity, the kind that doesn’t hide behind metaphor or polish, and the lyrics sit in that familiar Vibecore space where heartbreak and self‑reckoning collide. There’s a lived‑in quality to the writing; you can hear the late nights, the unanswered questions, the moments where you replay conversations you wish had gone differently. What makes the EP stand out is how naturally it moves between intensity and introspection. stillstayer don’t force big emotional moments; they let them rise from the tension already built into the songs. Some tracks feel like confessions said out loud for the first time, while others carry the energy of someone finally choosing themselves after too long. The flow between songs feels intentional, almost like chapters in a story, each one adding context, each one pushing the emotional arc forward.

By the time the EP reaches its final moments, All Heart / No Brakes feels less like a collection of songs and more like a snapshot of a band fully locked into who they are. It’s vulnerable without being fragile, energetic without losing its emotional weight, and unmistakably rooted in the Milwaukee Vibecore identity that Still Stayer is carving out for themselves, and the title feels earned, as this is music made with instinct, honesty, and momentum, refusing to slow down even when the feelings get heavy. A tight, heartfelt release that proves you don’t need brakes when you’re driving with purpose.


                                 Check out my favorite track from this record, Monochrome: 



Go give them a follow on Instagram: Still Stayer

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