Review Summary: On the path to forming a masterpiece, Pentimento takes the stairs
Pentimento is a pop-punk/alternative band from New York, formed in 2011. Since then, they’ve released two full lengths, two EP’s, and one split with another New York band. From the get go, I’ve always seen them as something special and fresh. In a scene as saturated as pop punk seems to be nowadays, Pentimento truly shines through.
They certainly don't find themselves grasping for straws or relying on previous material and endeavors to work their way through this album. While I can't say that it's too far from their previous material, it is certainly fresh enough to be impressive and very enjoyable. Bands tend to walk over paths that have already been tread dozens of times before, but Pentimento soars over the path itself and makes their own lane, powered by fresh, beautiful ideas and elements, and put together in a great, unique way.
On this album in particular, the poppiness isn’t necessarily at the forefront. The album is quite catchy in it’s own regard, but it doesn’t quite have that, for lack of a better term, obvious pop feel to it like the new State Champs record does. The pop feel that is put forth in this album is felt in both the guitars and the vocals, with the clean cut guitar twinkling in the background as the singer’s voice soars throughout the track. The range of their vocalist isn’t exactly showcased, and in each song it is sort of held back and reserved, however, towards the end of tracks like “Got My Answer”, his voice really shines through strongly and displays a sort of vocal performance that isn’t commonplace in the pop punk scene nowadays.
The production on this record is the brightest star among many elements and pieces in this record that truly shine so bright. Every aspect of this album is quite clean and crisp, without being too overbearing. The drums have a punch to it that draws your attention to the true driving force of the record, while not striking too hard to disrupt the overall aesthetic of the album. The sort of relaxing environment that is created with the sound of this album is quite refreshing, and among a sea of groups that try their best to be “in your face” and at the forefront with their sound, this record takes a backseat and soothes your mind through each and every song, rarely challenging the listener to find something to dislike about it. It’s an easy and quite enjoyable listening experience, and I would personally rank it among my favorites from this year. As someone who frequently listens to abrasive, rough, and heavy music, and at one point almost completely turned my back on this genre completely, this album is a smooth return back into my love of alternative.
Throughout my first listen of this, I couldn’t find a single thing to dislike about it. There was no real repetitiveness to the sound, and while there is a similar vibe throughout the entire album, each track is fresh and feels new and different compared to the songs before it, even if there is the similarity there. Pentimento have built upon their previous releases to create a listening experience that is as catchy as it is calming, enjoyable as it is creative, and as fun as it is impressive. Take the time to listen to the record that I believe may be one of the best alternative albums of the year.
