Album Review Reviews

Review:: Out Here | Reckless Serenade

It was the kind of band that made me feel something. Nostalgia, rage, happiness; there was something that filled me up. In the comfort of my room (with my roommate away in class), I listened to Reckless Serenade’s 6-track EP Out Here and immediately knew what love
sounded like.

From Upstate New York, the five-piece band consists of vocalist Cory Brent, guitarists Mark Neidhardt and Nick Sochan, bassist Steve Zeiss and drummer Matt Ruggiero. Friends from high school, the group came together in 2012 with their different styles of writing and music. I was immediately attracted to the band—the name came from an Arctic Monkeys’ song and the pop-punk indie sound had me hooked.

I had high expectations for the first track in terms of my attention span; I was not let down. “Kerosene” was incredible with the guitar riffs and strong vocals. His voice was powerful and passionate. Sadness, love, anger—anything that makes you feel enough should be written and belted out.

Over time, and I mean within the first minute and eight seconds of the second track, “Overtime,” I fell in love with this band. The beginning was a calming voice, silence, and then an immediate drop of vocal intensity. It was a scream from the soul.

“Pretty Monster” and “Fire” were rebellious-sounding songs that simultaneously frightened me and made me feel empowering. They were tunes that made my chest hurt, but in a good way; so good it hurt.

“Stranger Things” was one of those songs I could listen to for hours and never get tired of hearing. I somehow heard almost every instrument being played. I will admit I played the air drums along to this song but nowhere near skillfully.

One of the coolest things was hearing some of my favorite bands intertwined into the last track on the EP, “The Art of Letting Go.” At the beginning of the song, I got vibes from an old-school Arctic Monkeys. It transitioned into a funky mix between Neck Deep and State Champs and jumped into a twenty | one | pilots kind of rap. Through it all, I still heard Reckless Serenade.

Music was supposed to be that feel-good therapy. Reckless Serenade gathered sound inspiration from other exceptional artists, and yet they make their music their own. Plug in your headphones, put on this Out Here EP and turn up the volume. Good music is good for you.

Release
Date: September 18th
Run Time: ~22 minutes
Rate:
4/5
Ultimate
Jams: “Kerosene,” Overtime,” “Stranger Things”

Track listing:
1. Kerosene
2. Overtime
3. Pretty Monster
4. Fire
5. Stranger Things
6. The Art of Letting
Go

Written by Kelly Peacock

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