After building a repute on the back of recent singles, Southern California’s At The Edge pull together a body of songs (the first since their debut effort, Small Town) in the form of the second EP, I Know I’ll Be Okay.
Sentiments of hope (a regular trope within the pop-punk realm, in particular) swirls into your ears from the start of the EP, which is only apt when considering the statement projected in the title, I Know I’ll Be Okay. “Igniting The Path”, epic with its marching band-esque aesthetic and sound, stomps majestically where the words "My feet are overwhelmed from carrying this weight on, with every solid step I get closer to it..." carry the might of At The Edge in motion.
"Igniting The Path" allows listeners to scour through the dust of initial uncertainty and apprehension to the second track “Maybe Some Day”. “Maybe Some Day” capitalizes on sentiments of positive change through the extreme hardships depicted in the monotony of day-to-day life - a bittersweet delight for listeners who are also compacted with a chorus that brands “Maybe Some Day” as the brightest moment on the EP, from its ability to caress listeners with an earnest sensibility, which lathers the EP. “Looking Forward” is a quick switch into the concrete skate punk strand in At The Edge’s sound, filled with overwhelming gang vocals as well as a boisterous breakdown that rears its head.
During the latter portion of I Know I’ll Be Okay, re-recorded older material from At The Edge’s catalogue also appear on the EP, such as “Just A Phase” and “Mom And Dad”. The revised versions are evidence of At The Edge refining their sound. On “Just A Phase” the band shares frustrations of the false pretence of those who are not genuine. Vocalist George Arteaga centres this contextually when referring to false individuals within his local scene pointing the finger satirically when suggesting "It’s more than stretched ears and tattoos, it’s more than breakdowns and dumb crews". “Mom And Dad” appears as the most biographically intimate on the record, which commemorates parents for enduring hardships when raising children, expressed through the voice of Arteaga.
Lastly, on the closer, “Friends” ties the knot with a semi-acoustic/semi-full-band track. The acoustic half evokes a soundscape that paints the scene of an isolated shore on the beach, which becomes more vivid as the Americana riffs are gradually heard on. The bold declaration of Arteaga on "No matter how far we slip away remember we had our glory days" pushes “Friends” to its heights acting as a closer soaked in nothing but glory.
On I Know I’ll Be Okay, At The Edge evoke and uphold sincerity thoroughly interacting with earnest subjects in an endearing way, which never becomes trivial, but triumphant.
Tracklist:
1. Igniting The Path
2. Maybe Someday
3. Looking Forward
4. Just A Phase
5. Mom & Dad
6. Friends
RIYL: This Time Next Year, Carousel Kings, Set Your Goals
Rating:
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