LAST EPIC

Last Epic's ho-hum first impression as a pop album is stripped away with each successive listen, revealing a quirky, buoyant, and intricate concept album with memorable melodies and a depth uncommon to its approachable sound.

The first and most prevalent key to this success is the snappy songwriting, which takes the listener on an enjoyable journey through big, made-for-FM hooks, ballads, and intense instrumental passages. The sample song here on PA is a good example of what one can expect. The variety alone is a big selling point, but the fact that the band itself is quite excellent makes everything that much better. Each member of the band cooks, with Andersson's guitar standing out with rhythmically dexterous leads, heavy and at times a little bit metal, but never overbearing; solos are smart and frequent, and his playing never tries to steal the show. I was also impressed by the rhythm section, which is exceptionally intricate and precise. Combine this with heavy use of varied synthesizer for textures and melodies and we've got a complex web of sounds hidden beneath an outwardly popish veneer.

Vocals deserve special mention as well, since a big part of ACT's sound is the exuberant voice of Saming. The biggest part of Last Epic's outwardly pop sound is due to his singing, which is very catchy and genuinely fun to listen to. He sings a lot, so be prepared. Fortunately he's quite good, and belts out the leads throughout, with some eccentric vocalizations adding much to the variety.

A worthy listen, unique for its intense pop sound and tight, intricate playing which rewards many plays and road trip sing-alongs.

Songwriting: 4 Instrumental Performances: 4 Lyrics/Vocals: 4 Style/Emotion/Replay: 4