The Extensions - Gravitas [EP]

You Don’t Know Jersey: Feature 

Blood Makes Noise: Feature 

Gravitas (n): Dignity, seriousness, or solemnity of manner. You might say it’s ironic that an EP with such a weighty title starts off with a friend of The Extensions hailing them as “mavericks in the scene.”

But to say that, the band would respond “…and?” At this point in the New Jersey quintet’s career, contradictions are kind of their thing. Grandiose yet accessible, biting yet jubilant, performing everywhere from libraries to hockey arenas.

Even lead single “Say I Can” is technically six years old, but The Extensions approach it with the energy of a brand new song and somehow make it feel as fresh as if it were written only a month ago. And if there is any loose thread running through Gravitas, it’s that exact feeling. “Day I Don’t,” “Waiting on the Rapture,” and “You’re a Star” were all once slated for inclusion on 2023’s High Charisma LP, but instead find new life fitting together cohesively in their own right.

“Bridesmaid Dress” and “Day I Don’t II: Judgment Day” are the two newcomers, the latter featuring four different Extensions taking turns on vocals before joining together to bring the whole thing home. It’s a microcosm of the EP itself, which started as a collection of spare songs but now sounds like they were always meant to be together.