To me, Transit and their fans are very much a tight-knit, welcoming and ever growing family. With each release the family expands but the feeling that this band is your ‘best kept secret’ doesn’t diminish in the slightest. Yet again, the Boston natives have added another solid release to the list for their legions of devoted and enthusiastic fans, only this time around we’re treated to a predominately acoustic EP. However, Transit write and play with such energy and passion that it really doesn’t feel so acoustic. The catchy and easy to listen to Something Left Behind consists of tracks from each of their previous releases, plus three brand new tracks to give the family some fresh material, or to convert a brother or two.

Opening track “Indoor Voices” greets eager ears with the plucking of guitar and the pace keeping of drums before front man Joe Boynton’s distinct vocals are put on display. The track is my personal favourite on Something Left Behind. The lyrics could take much credit for this, an area in which Boynton excels and constantly develops over time. Whilst the song is much mellower than previous Transit tracks which have a great kick and punch to them, the shine which Boynton portrays is still very much alive and is evident when he tells of how he “always seem to relate to strays/waiting for someone to come along/and take me away/to give me all the attention/the attention that we all crave”.

The emphasis which Boynton sings with is also evident on old favourite, now gone acoustic “Please Head North”. The addition of raspy backing vocals from guitarist/vocalist Tim Landers keeps Transit’s inclusion of fans intact, as energetic sing-a-long moments are present and still create a song that you can belt out no matter where you are.

Tracks such as “For The World”, “Just Go, Just Leave”, “Castaway” and title track “Something Left Behind” are stripped back show the pure, raw talent this five piece hold. On the other end of the spectrum, the acoustic version of “I Hope This Finds You Well” stays true to its original and highlights Transit’s capability of constructing catchy hooks and melodies.

In just under 2 minutes, Transit has produced one of my favourite songs on the EP in “Just Go, Just Leave”. Beautiful guitar lines complement the tones of Boyton’s voice which seemingly flows with ease. A rendition of the song can be seen on the band’s YouTube channel from their Transit Thursday sessions, which also features Blink-182 and Piebald covers, plus collaborations with buddies in Man Overboard.

“1978” is one of the few tracks which is not acoustic, although it’s not quite as heavy as the songs we hear on 2010’s Keep This To Yourself and therefore continues the flow of the EP’s relaxed feel which has eased me to sleep in a good mood on many occasions.

Very few acoustic EPs in the scene manage to meet the maturity, depth and passion that Transit has excelled in. However the Transit family would have expected nothing less from the quintet which which perpetually tops feats reached in previous records. Give Something Left Behind a listen and join the family.

You can also check out our review of Transit’s Keep This To Yourself