Past Live are a hard rock four-piece based in NYC, and EP 1 is their debut. If this is
what these guys are doing just out the gate, i cannot wait to see what they evolve into!
The EP starts off with a spacey instrumental intro bit called Ojai IM that meanders for about
two minutes. After it fades out, the guitar chugs and squeals in Sever Your Love, a song that
swaggers along with chugging rhythms, fuzzed out guitar, and echoed voice. The band channel a bit of
Dinosaur Jr. for two minutes.
And then they get their Superchunk on with Split the Ground, the two guitarists dueling like
Mac and Jim on No Pocky for Kitty while the drummer beats his kit and the voice wails
through distortion. This is happy and catchy and moves along nicely.
But the next tune is the real stunner here. It has the excellent title Hate Bloomer and it
positively grinds along. The guitars here are overdriven and messy and the drums chug, but the whole
thing is so head boppingly catchy with the kind of guitar riff that sticks with you. Great stuff.
Losing Every Word is also catchy with fast riffing, and again i am reminded of No Pocky
for Kitty in the way the guitars play together. Jack Knife might be their theme song, as it
sounds like he sings "past life" sometimes and "jack knife" at other times, or maybe i am just hearing it
wrong. Either way, it's a catchy little tune.
They bring out an acoustic guitar for Ojai II and the end of the record. The acoustic strums
along as the other guitar wails through some light distortion. It's a lovely end to the disc.
And when it ends, after a mere 16 minutes or so, i am left wanting more. I want to see what else
these guys do with their two guitar attack and distorted voice. This is one of the better rock EPs that i
have heard in a while. I would love for Past Life to swing by Atlanta on tour. perhaps pound these songs
out at The Drunken Unicorn some Friday night... I bet that would be an excellent show. |
