Reason EP - Reception

Reception

Reason EP launched the band into prominence in its native Denver city. The songs from the EP began receiving airplay on Denver radio stations, especially on KTCL. The band were invited as a headliner at a local theatre and later, it was voted Best New Band by Westword (a local alternative newsweekly). The band also won in the rock category of the "Westword Music Showcase Awards." Epic Records A&R man, Mike Flynn grew interested in the band after hearing the third track on the EP, "Vienna". He stated that the song "was real music. It was timeless music. Epic later signed the band in 2004.

Following its re-issue in 2007 (by which time the band had achieved mainstream success with the release of its debut album, How to Save a Life), Allmusic, in its review of the EP, compared it unfavorably to the radio-friendly style of the debut album, but stated that "the music is pleasant enough, with moodswinging melodies and tasteful piano fashioning some fine, middle-of-the-road pop/rock tunes." Westword gave the EP a positive review, stating "the music is epic, no doubt, but it's played on a wholly human scale" and compared The Fray favorably to Coldplay. CNET later termed Reason EP as "a career changing EP".