Amongst the many accolades that have already been heaped upon Boston’s Set Fire, it gives us great pleasure to begin this review adding “2019 Rock And Roll Rumble Winner” to that list. Which they are! And any doubt as to why this trio should be this year’s champs will be squashed upon hearing their upcoming new EP, Traya.

“Any Place Left” is, quite simply, transcendent. It’s a gorgeous, glistening slab of rawk and/or roll showcasing Jess Collins’ keys and voice with Jim Healey’s crunchy riffs and smooth delivery creating a perfect harmony with Collins during the chorus. Collins and Healey are like the yin and yang of the Boston rawk scene as these musical kindred spirits complement each other so well and that bond grows stronger with each release. Not one to be left out, drummer Rob Davol keeps the beat steady and defiantly heavy, providing another beautiful counterpoint within the bristling opening track.

Then things get even better.

“Sacred Song” is easily the fastest Set Fire track to date with Davol’s drums coming at listeners like an aural freight train as Collins and Healey trade verses with the latter laying down this grandiose foundation on guitar. Collins’ keys add to the sonic tapestry, at times conjuring up the Alt-Prog vibes of Eleven. “Waves” really dials the Set Fire mojo to, ahem, eleven as this mystical beast hums with exquisitely soulful performances from Healey and Collins building towards an epic, swirling peak of just plain Rawk awesome.

Still unsure of why they won?

Traya comes out on September 5th (A 7″ drops a little later this month) ahead of a live appearance at Great Scott on September 6th opening for the mighty Nebula which will also be the place you can catch their new drummer, Josh Cronin, in action. To pre-order your copy, head here. For more on Set Fire, including more upcoming live shows, head over here and here.