Review Summary: While Our Last Night’s debut is far from original, they have some great qualities which will only improve with age.
Discovering a new band is a pretty interesting process these days. Sometimes it takes as little as a myspace request to notice a group. Other times it takes a news article, multiple full page magazine ads, and a constant advertisement on sputnik for things to finally click. If your ‘advertise on indieclick.com’ banner is anything similar to mine, Our Last Night is a name you certainly have seen before. With all of that it was only a matter of time before curiosity got the better of me. So I eventually indulged myself into recently signed, teen-aged post hardcore act Our Last Night and their Epitah debut
The Ghosts Among Us. Despite having a moderately generic sound and style, they pull it off properly and gimmick free choosing to accent on the finer points of the genre.
If there is in fact a proper way to play generic post hardcore, Our Last Night is currently doing it. They have a dual vocal approach to the genre like seventy five percent of the groups out there. While the singer takes just about every single chorus, their trade-offs are a bit more interesting due to how often they occur. Screamer Trent Wentworth is currently confined to a fairly moderate range but still manages to possess a unique sounding harsh yell. His older brother Matt has an incredibly smooth and whine-free voice which provides constant catchiness. The record has a handful of breakdowns (note: the record not the first song). Bass is actually audible throughout a modest amount of the record and doesn’t always play like a second rhythm guitar down an octave. To top it all off, their lyrics and the subjects they discuss do not appear to be written by someone their age. So in all honesty this paragraph was just an extended version of the following sentence: As generic as they may be, Our Last Night is NOT a music/genre elitist’s worst nightmare by any stretch.
They are however themselves; nothing more and nothing less. I can pretty confidently state that Our Last Night know they aren’t going to change the way anyone looks at music with this release. Reason being, they don’t act like it.
The Ghosts Among Us is honest and genuine. Given the age of the musicians, it is understandable they haven’t entirely found their niche. The best part is that this doesn’t prevent them from crafting an enjoyable record.
“Symptoms of a Failing System” serves as a perfect opener for the record. It is at a good tempo and features a solid blend of heavy and melodic guitar work, a bass driven second verse, and a catchy chorus, all of which are linked with solid construction. The sparing, frantic bursts from the six stringers show some respectable chops and song writing.
“Recovery” shows the group at one of their more accessible states with an octave driven chorus and an emphasis on melody. The softer second verse again allows bass to shine and shows off their ability to use switch things up dynamically.
As the record persists, their style doesn’t stray to far from what is initially introduced. However, quality wise things remain consistent.
“This Is Your Lifesaver” boasts one of the stronger choruses and is musically distinguishable with its use of dissonance. Once more some pleasing bass lines grace the ears as the low end deviation is commendable. The short and flawlessly executed breakdown really packs a punch as it serves as a terrific build up for the final minute of track. To close the record, the group comes correct with
“The Messenger.” It features some of the finest riffs present with a two step worthy intro and a prechorus guaranteed to get your head moving. A perfect blend a high range riffs and some carefully placed chugs make the closer a memorable one. No dramatic piano parts, no drawn out breakdowns, no recycled riffing, just an immense chant which winds the record down with before the final passage unleashes its impressive intensity.
There’s something to be said for such a young band putting out a solid debut which doesn’t falter due to trendy characteristics. There are not an abundance of breakdowns, persistently whiny choruses, or lyrical sob stories to be found here. What you will find are respectfully crafted post hardcore tracks which accent the finer points of the genre. The highlight of the record
“Running The Clocks” features an irresistible vocal and guitar hook during the chorus. The track is stacked with an ideal amount of volume shifts and finishes with a startling breakdown. Despite being the highlight, it reveals that the group lacks some sort of distinctive feature[s] to separate them from their field. But being as originality and experimentation can be established and attempted later in a career, these guys aren’t doing half bad.
The Ghosts Among Us makes it very clear that Our Last Night has the talent and chemistry to achieve success on just about any path they choose to take in the future. By the time they can all buy beer (Trevor was 11 when they formed in 2004 you do the math), it will be a surprise if they aren’t an established name in their genre.
Recommended Tracks
-Running The Clocks
-Escape
-The Messenger
Final Rating: 3/5
