Review Summary: MY BODY BURNS WITH THE URGENCY OF NOW!
I read something by Norman Brannon (Ex-Texas Is The Reason, current Thursday guitar player) recently, about how back in the 90s, nobody actually used the term “emo” seriously. They instead used “a little D.C.” as a calling card for punk bands that employed a sense of melody and highly personal lyrics in their music. This is the first thing that came to mind while listening to Stand Still’s debut LP,
Steps Ascending. It’s a little D.C. for sure, but the pool of influence that Stand Still draws from is too broad to be constrained to one state or era. This isn’t exactly your cool cousin’s Revolution Summer revival band, despite technically being the natural evolution of what Dag Nasty was doing in ‘86.
Based out of Long Island, NY, Stand Still have a deep reverence for their own local scene, and have confidently nestled out a podium spot for themselves by drawing inspiration from L.I. legends like Silent Majority and Taking Back Sunday. I could rattle off a whole list of other comparisons, but the magic of this record ultimately comes down to the way the band blends the palm muted riffs, natural harmonics and driving leads of 90s melodic hardcore with the sing-along sensibilities of 2000s emo and pop punk. One of the strongest suits this band has to offer is the fact that vocalist Gerry Windus can actually sing, and he has a pretty powerful and distinct voice at that. Together, Gerry and the band craft some seriously fun melodies and instantly memorable choruses like that of the title track “Steps Ascending”. You only need to hear that chorus once before you find yourself singing along with it the second and third time it comes around. Yet these catchy, soulful moments are still interspersed with strained yells and hard hitting riffs that could make a room explode with stage dives and pile-ons. Whether it's the aggressive affirmations of "In the Dying Light of a Setting Sun", or the melancholy of "Dust", there is a healthy amount of diversity in the songwriting that keeps this album feeling fresh from the first song right to the last. The two features by Crime In Stereo and Pain of Truth vocalists are also a welcome garnish, and further reflects the band's celebration of Long Island Hardcore.
It's impressive how Stand Still manages to sound like so many other bands before them, and also none of them at the same time. Even amongst contemporaries like Koyo, Anxious and One Step Closer, Stand Still’s broad taste and unique perspective on the traditions of melodic hardcore really shines through on this record and puts them in a lane of their own.
Steps Ascending was made with love, and without compromise. It’s a record that doesn’t really fit in, and that’s precisely why it’s so good.
