For those who don't know, Last One Standing is a Pop Punk/Easycore trio from Berkshire, UK. Late last year we posted a 2-song demo, and now their brand new EP, Stepping Stones, is about to be released.
The 4-song EP starts off with Hide & Seek; a solid, introductory, upbeat song that eases listeners into the record. The song is packed with catchy Pop Punk melodies and a breakdown towards the end, lead into by a short, grungy riff, that I wouldn't call over the top. Despite the next track's downer title, Pessimism Is My Middle Name, this song is actually just as upbeat. While the verses are quite mellow and relaxing, the chorus picks the pace right back up again. The band's overall sound is built on a Pop Punk foundation, and though I wouldn't consider any of the songs to be heavy, Pessimism Is My Middle Name does include some yelling. This is also the only song of the four that doesn't end with a breakdown. The last few seconds of the song then mix into the second to last track, Portraits. Portraits begins with a spacey riff that quickly turns into the first verse. The transition from the intro to the verse felt a little awkward, but nevertheless a great listen. This one's also another that makes use of traditional Easycore elements such as gang vocals and breakdowns, in an almost melancholic way. The EP ties the knot with Snakes & Ladders; a culmination of what each of the previous tracks had to offer individually. There's not too much else to be said about Snakes & Ladders, as it's not a huge departure from the previous songs. However, it does re-enforce what the band is capable of.
As a whole, Stepping Stones, carries a great sound with worthy musicianship, however the production value of the EP could have received more attention. Depending on personal preference, this could be taken as a positive. At times, the hollow-sounding drums even reminded me of Set Your Goals' Mutiny! In summary, the EP definitely proves what Last One Standing are capable of, and one can only hope that they will continue building on this. In the future, it would be refreshing to see some more diversity, as some of the melodies sometimes felt repeated and the breakdowns a little too frequent. Once again, this is all opinion-based, as some diehard Easycore fans feed on this.
The EP will be dropping today as a free download, and you can expect it to be up here as soon as it's out. In the meantime, go check out the band and thank them for the music.
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