I remember how excited I was to see empire! empire! (I was a lonely estate) perform with The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die some months ago. I mean, come on that’s a pretty great combination of bands, right? Much to their great misfortune, a little local folk band by the name of Saintseneca took to the stage first. But who cares about a quaint little act in the face of emo’s biggest heavy hitters? Sure, that was my thoughts as well. However, after their set I was instantly transfixed- dead set on devouring anything and everything of the band that had so captured my heart instantly. Luckily, Last was ripe for the picking; a must hear album that captures the dynamic band’s energy and ingenuity perfectly.
Saintseneca, despite their explosive and palpable energy, love to exercise subtlety. When every member is plucking away and crooning, it’s a beautiful and absorbing thing to behold. But it’s the little nuances that really make Last shine. The silence in “Beasts” is just as effective as the maddeningly cathartic tempo shifts in “The Worst Days.” All of this is able to be made thanks to some thoughtful songwriting and ingenious instrumentation. Acoustic guitar and many other stringed instruments are used throughout the album, with every member adding in their vocal work. But it’s Zac Little who truly shines. His weak yet confident, nerdy but rustic delivery is fantastically unique. There's little to no production magic to be heard, but the crisp and clean sound makes everything feel incredibly personal. Every strum and drum hit is perfectly audible and absolutely necessary. This converges into a one of a kind folky sound that is strikingly fresh but comfortingly familiar.
I could hand pick a few tracks and describe them ad nauseum, but it is much simpler to implore you to seek this album out and listen for yourself. Whether it is the bombastic “Acid Rain” or reserved title track, each piece is engaging in its own way. Last is simply a beautifully crafted and original work that begs to be heard.
AtomicWaste Contributing Reviewer February 28th 2013
1631 Comments
Sure, that was my thoughts
I saw Jacob got to this first, but you can just say "those were"." I think that'd work pretty well.
"I was instantly transfixed- dead set on devouring anything and everything of the band that had so captured my heart instantly."
The dash should be a comma here.
You can actually keep the dash. They're somewhat transmutable, but the dash has more impact and it's more a personal choice than anything. I think the dash works better than a comma in this situation.
"All of this is able to be made thanks to some thoughtful songwriting and ingenious instrumentation."
The first several words read really clunky, and it may help to have a comma after 'made.'
I'd just say reword it.
Other than that mumbo jumbo, I do like the succinctness of this review.
