Adrian Villagomez
09/26/07, 10:05 PM
The Scenic - It's a Secret to Everyone
Record Label: None
Release Date: August 28, 2007
The Scenic are a group of five out of Philadelphia, PA who first caught recognition on AbsolutePunk.net through the Self-Promotion Spotlight. Their sound, as found on the six track EP It's a Secret to Everyone, contains hints of pop punk but leans closer towards pop rock.
It's a Secret to Everyone quickly surprises with "Not Enough to Love", which presents a narrator who is a deceptive womanizer. This is an interesting concept, since most songs from bands in this genre revolve around a sympathetic speaker who plays the victim. This narrator, however, shamefully recalls his nightly exploits: 'There’s a thousand other bars on the East Coast / And a thousand other girls I can get drunk and take home / You can bet your ass that I’ll do this again.’ Of course the band doesn’t stray too far from the norm of ballads, with a proper example being “Sing Your Song.” Though The Scenic remain mostly consistent throughout the EP, they hit a snag with “Reading Between the Lines.” The melody isn’t bad, but the choruses rely heavily on a somewhat cliché metaphor – ‘I get the feeling that we are just going through the motions of a car crash.’ It wouldn’t be such a bad line, but it’s repeated enough to drag the song down. It’s a weak backbone to depend on.
Too many releases fizzle out with their final songs. It’s a Secret to Everyone goes out on top with their best song on the EP, “Fire Science.” Besides having a cool title, the song shows what The Scenic can do when they want to move faster than usual. There’s a much heavier emphasis on the drumming, with some extra attention given to the double bass pedal when necessary. Imagine a softer version of Matchbook Romance’s “Promise” and you’ll have something like “Fire Science.”
After listening to this EP for about a week, I checked out The Scenic’s MySpace page to dig up some info on the band. If there’s one compliment I can give the band, it’s this – it took me by surprise when I saw the word “none” by Type of Label. Of course I knew they were unsigned, but the quality of It’s a Secret to Everyone convinced me otherwise. The Scenic have created a mature sound with this release, and maintain tried and true DIY ethic without falling into the tired rhythm of pointless screaming and hollow breakdowns.
01. The Fall
02. Not Enough to Love *
03. Oh No!
04. Sing Your Song
05. Reading Between the Lines
06. Fire Science *
* = definitely download
Mae, Copeland, Jimmy Eat World, As Tall as Lions
MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/thescenic) | Buy @ SmartPunk.com (http://www.smartpunk.com/product.php?item_id=22065)
Record Label: None
Release Date: August 28, 2007
The Scenic are a group of five out of Philadelphia, PA who first caught recognition on AbsolutePunk.net through the Self-Promotion Spotlight. Their sound, as found on the six track EP It's a Secret to Everyone, contains hints of pop punk but leans closer towards pop rock.
It's a Secret to Everyone quickly surprises with "Not Enough to Love", which presents a narrator who is a deceptive womanizer. This is an interesting concept, since most songs from bands in this genre revolve around a sympathetic speaker who plays the victim. This narrator, however, shamefully recalls his nightly exploits: 'There’s a thousand other bars on the East Coast / And a thousand other girls I can get drunk and take home / You can bet your ass that I’ll do this again.’ Of course the band doesn’t stray too far from the norm of ballads, with a proper example being “Sing Your Song.” Though The Scenic remain mostly consistent throughout the EP, they hit a snag with “Reading Between the Lines.” The melody isn’t bad, but the choruses rely heavily on a somewhat cliché metaphor – ‘I get the feeling that we are just going through the motions of a car crash.’ It wouldn’t be such a bad line, but it’s repeated enough to drag the song down. It’s a weak backbone to depend on.
Too many releases fizzle out with their final songs. It’s a Secret to Everyone goes out on top with their best song on the EP, “Fire Science.” Besides having a cool title, the song shows what The Scenic can do when they want to move faster than usual. There’s a much heavier emphasis on the drumming, with some extra attention given to the double bass pedal when necessary. Imagine a softer version of Matchbook Romance’s “Promise” and you’ll have something like “Fire Science.”
After listening to this EP for about a week, I checked out The Scenic’s MySpace page to dig up some info on the band. If there’s one compliment I can give the band, it’s this – it took me by surprise when I saw the word “none” by Type of Label. Of course I knew they were unsigned, but the quality of It’s a Secret to Everyone convinced me otherwise. The Scenic have created a mature sound with this release, and maintain tried and true DIY ethic without falling into the tired rhythm of pointless screaming and hollow breakdowns.
01. The Fall
02. Not Enough to Love *
03. Oh No!
04. Sing Your Song
05. Reading Between the Lines
06. Fire Science *
* = definitely download
Mae, Copeland, Jimmy Eat World, As Tall as Lions
MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/thescenic) | Buy @ SmartPunk.com (http://www.smartpunk.com/product.php?item_id=22065)