There’s nothing like listening to a piece of music or an album and being transported back to a certain time in your life when things were different in one way or another. Some albums give you a nostalgic feeling of what things were like when you were younger: happier, and less complicated and stressful. These albums accompany you and your friends on long road-trips to the beach during the summer, provide background noise to parties and get-togethers with your closest friends, and pick you up when you’re having a tough day. With summer rapidly approaching and the weather already being warm enough to drive around with the windows down, the time has now come to find an album that fulfills those tasks. Luckily for all of us, Lancaster’s Last Scene in Reno has provided us with an EP that will become your summer soundtrack.
“You Act As If I Have A Choice” is a collection of five songs that proves both the potential that these four young gentlemen possess, but also the fact that they can write pop-punk gems with the best of them. If you’re reading this wondering what this band sounds like, think of it this way: they sound like a combination “Take This to Your Grave” era Fall Out Boy and Four Year Strong. Here’s the kicker though, these guys are all better at their instruments than both of those bands, so the music itself is often much more interesting than most things you hear out of the pop-punk genre these days.
The EP kicks off with the one-two punch of “Hope Against Hope” and “Know You Won’t.” The former is a summer road-trip anthem about packing up and leaving your hometown behind with your best friend or the love of your life. The hook in the chorus is simple, yet memorable (Come on, we’re driving with the windows down/California’s not that far away/We can make it there). “Know You Won’t” picks up right where “Hope Against Hope” leaves off, with vocalists Matt Murr and Dave Timblin doing their best Taking Back Sunday-style call-and-response vocals throughout the verses. In terms of lyrics, this song’s chorus is stronger than its predecessor. With lines such as, “This is not what I had planned for us/You’d rather spend your life engulfed in loneliness/If you think you can do better than me giving my all, I’ll say go ahead because I know you won’t,” Last Scene in Reno isn’t trying to hide behind metaphors and they’re all the better for it. Though this could be seen as a “break-up song,” the upbeat tempo and melody will have you singing the chorus with a big smile on your face.
Just when you think the next three songs are going in a similar direction, “Playing Pretend” comes along. While this track may seem slightly subdued compared to the two previous tracks, it one-ups them with the use of harmonized ah’s in the pre-chorus and the fantastic work of the rhythm section of Curt Tran (bass) and Ryan Masters (drums). Personally, I enjoy when a bassist does his or her job providing a rhythmic backdrop and staying within the groove of the song, but then goes off on a run with their bass-line in a tasteful manner when the song calls for it. In the ending chorus of this song, Tran goes off on a run in the upper-register of his instrument, but doesn’t make it too self-indulgent. It’s brief, it’s tasteful, and it fits the mood of the song. Well done, sir. Ryan Master’s drumming in the pre-chorus is quite excellent as well. In fact, his drumming all over this EP is solid, and littered with fills in all of the right places. With the instrumentation and the stellar bridge section of this song, this song is the highlight of this EP.
“Hey, Good Luck With That” evokes Louder Now-era Taking Back Sunday. The lead guitar work shines in this track with a catchy intro-riff, and melodic line in the chorus. This song returns to the form established by “Know You Won’t.” Ending the chorus with, “And everything we had before means nothing to me now”. Catchy and empowering, this song will make you want to go out and make the most of your summer and your life post-break up. Also, what self-respecting pop-punk band would record a song without gang vocals? The bridge of this song features gang vocals and fine cello playing by Grant McFarland.
The closing track “Save Me (The Last Dance)” wraps everything up in fine style. Riding of the heels of fine bass work by Curt Tran, the band comes in sounding a little bit like Blink 182. The chorus works in some “whoa’s” that you won’t be able to resist singing along to along with the hook “You act as if I have a choice/I’m trying just to hear your voice/But I still find myself all alone and without you I don’t want to go home.” The song tones down during the bridge, then crescendos into a final chorus that features a double-bass drum work from Masters, and three separate melodies being sung by Murr, Timblin and Tran. It’s a strong finish to a strong debut that begs for repeated listens.
Clocking in at just over 17 minutes, “You Act As If I Have A Choice” throws as much as it can at you in such a short span of time without being overbearing or over-indulgent. With each song clocking in at less than four minutes, Last Scene in Reno makes it apparent that they can properly utilize and showcase their talents without being self-indulgent.
The EP isn’t without cons though. Lyrically, “Hope Against Hope” seems rather lackluster, and without the “whoa’s” in the background of “Save Me (The Last Dance)” the hook in the chorus would fall flat. That being said, “You Act As If I Have A Choice” is a fine example of all the things that people love about pop-punk. Fine drumming? Check. Gang vocals? Check. Half-tempo, final choruses? Check. Vocal harmonies? Check. Dueling vocals? Check. It’s all there in fine style. Guitarist Matt Murr and Dave Timblin also consistently churn out catchy riffs and melodies with every song. The lead guitar work is straight out of Fred Mascherino’s (Terrible Things, ex-Taking Back Sunday) book, and executed in all the right places.
Overall, Last Scene in Reno has crafted an EP that will define your summer, and take you back to your high school glory days. It’s a fine piece of work that begs for repeated listens, and evokes anticipation for more music from these guys. You can hear their passion for what they do with every note; something that many bands and novelty mainstream acts lack these days. Definitely check out “You Act As If I Have A Choice” and see these guys next time they play in town*.
Overall rating: 8.5/10.
*Luckily, Last Scene in Reno IS playing in town this month. Check out their CD release show at the LAUNCH Music Conference & Festival on Friday April 27 at 9:00pm at the Lancaster Convention Center – Freedom Hall A. If you get your $10 from the band you get a free copy of their new CD. See their Facebook for more info.
Photo Source:
www.facebook.com/LastSceneInReno