Coming into this review, I find myself in the very interesting position of not having ever listened to Pentimento. For Inside The Sea, their EP follow-up to the debut self-titled full-length, I have no reference with which to judge improvement, decline or any kind of change in the band as a whole. I decided to go into this release blind, in hopes of achieving the most unbiased view of the band possible. So, I’ll simply put it this way: On a clean palette, untouched by any of the band's prior material, this EP is awesome and refreshing. The soaring vocals of Jeramiah Pauly hearken back to a bygone era of pop punk circa the early to mid-2000s, but the instrumentation is very much a product of the more modern stylings of the genre. It’s a great combination that really works well for the band, and it is elevated to the nth degree by some very climactic moments and well-written hooks.
Inside The Sea has only four tracks, so any missteps or bad songs are amplified simply due it being a larger piece of the pie. Pentimento seem very aware that everything needs to be tight in their 2013 outing, however, there is certainly one song that, while not bad or offensive, is just not as strong as the others. “Any Minute Now…” is a song that lives and dies by a chorus that is just not memorable enough to be the centerpiece. However, the negatives stop there for the most part.
Opening track “Not So Young” is an anthemic tune that reels you in with the soaring vocal hook of “Is this all I am, is this everything that I am meant to be?”. It is apparent from the outset that Pentimento are talented songwriters; not only for catchy hooks but for the tension-building drum rolls and expertly placed gang vocals. What this song could do without, though, is some of the background screams. It’s not that I think that screams don’t suit the band’s sound – they pop up later and are much more significant than the ones on “Not So Young” – the problem is that they add absolutely nothing to this song. The screams do not offer any emotion or impact, and while that could admittedly be due to mixing/production as the vocals are not very loud, the end product doesn’t deliver (a minor gripe).
“Just friends” is the most non-Pentimento song out of the four on this EP. There’s no experimentation or wildly different elements here but it just has a different kind of edge. The vocals, and even vibe of the song for a bit, are very Anthony Raneri and Bayside-esque, but as the song progresses, the instrumentation takes center stage with a fun bass line beneath a chugging guitar riff (the good kind of chugging). What steals the show on this release, however, is the final song “It’s Okay”. Everything about this song is executed so well, from the fantastically Gaslight Anthem-like guitar lead to the aggressive tone of the vocals and lyrics, everything here seems to have a purpose and fulfill it undoubtedly. It’s easy to tell that this song, through at least the lyrics, is very emotionally significant to Pauly and the rest of Pentimento. That’s really what puts this song over the top in terms of quality; the great passion that was captured in this song permeates through the music. It’s relatable and real, and that’s something a lot of bands try to do and fail, but for Pentimento it works.
While I may have had a slightly different opinion had I known the band’s prior work, I think having an unvarnished view of a band can lead to many truths that would not be found otherwise. Thankfully, in reviewing Pentimento in this way, I was able to see the promise in a band that has been getting a lot of buzz in their short career. Inside The Sea is a fantastic EP and I suggest giving Pentimento a listen, especially if this is your first time.
Tracklist:
1. Not So Young
2. Just Friends
3. Any Minute Now…
4. It’s Okay
RIYL: The Story So Far, Bayside
Rating:
Written by Marc Saggese
