Taking Your Lead and Learning to Love Again From LASTVIOLETS
Photos by Anthony Jakobs
By Julia Norkus
The new EP by LASTVIOLETS arrived on July 8, ready to enhance your soundtrack for summer heartbreak and healing.
LASTVIOLETS, made up of Emerson’s own Vincent Paz and Evan Taylor, have created their debut extended play Taking Your Lead with elements of yearning, groove and above all, lyrics that encompass the soul-crushing loss that comes with heartbreak. What more could you want from songs that arrive in bouncy, upbeat and indie-licious packages?
Songs on the EP include the opening track, “Never Got the Timing,” “Everything Changes” (featuring fellow Emerson musician, JOBIE), title track “Taking Your Lead,” “Blowin’ Smoke” and “One Last Dance.”
Each song emphasizes the versatility and dynamic ability of LASTVIOLETS, all with their own story and style. Despite each track being different and unique, they all remain true to the established LASTVIOLETS style, full of surf rock guitar and impassioned vocals.
“Never Got the Timing” opens with mellow guitars and is reminiscent of something Tears for Fears would write for a sappy ‘80s movie, if they did that kind of thing. The song has a story of its own, making it a magical start to the EP, talking about love in the way of not seeing what you have in front of you until it’s too late. Not only does the song feel inviting in its musicality, but its lyrics make it relatable, “You were right in front of me when I could barely see the light.”
The EP’s title track, “Taking Your Lead,” brings us into a different musical era along with a new stage in moving on. Elements of the early ‘00s scene sound are incorporated into the song’s opening bars, building onto the groovy sound that the LASTVIOLETS audience has come to know and love.
“One Last Dance” closes out the EP with gentle acoustic strumming and lullaby-esque vocals. Alternating from the ‘00s sound, the song also introduces itself with the sound of a mixtape being put in, but vocally feels like a crooner illuminated by one spotlight in a dimly lit bar somewhere in the middle of nowhere. The song talks about loneliness, wanting the one person who used to be there for you to be back with you for one last dance. It acknowledges the questions we might ask ourselves when someone leaves, like, “If you saw me, would you say hi? If you heard a song that reminded you of me, would it stop you in your tracks?” It also begs the question of whether or not something is ever truly over, even if your ex-partner is dancing with someone else. Despite being the end of the EP, the questions incorporated in the song make you wonder — is there another beginning waiting for us out there?
Overall, the EP has created a clear picture of who LASTVIOLETS are and where they’re planning to go. They’ve established themselves as poets and romantics, with hearts bared on their sleeves as they sing effortlessly about the trials and tribulations of love and loss.
LASTVIOLETS have proved themselves to be creators of music to make listeners feel understood, like the sound of coming home to hot tea and fuzzy socks. They create music for the heartbroken, the lonely and the lovesick — because no one should have to bear the burden of a broken heart all alone.