Music Review // The Last Optimist "This Moment is Gone"

https://open.spotify.com/album/4ysWPkIsNjj4byTd3T0Wmr?si=YbdcEFEcTCK819LkYEDkeg&nd=1

The music of The Last Optimist relies heavily on an acoustic guitar and voice, but the lyrics often times tell a story and just feel like they carry this entire EP.   With the acoustic harmonies opening up this EP, the bass eventually does drop in to create a different vibe for the song.  Right away it reminds me of TMBG or Death Cab For Cutie.  There is a moment as well on the first song where it gets quieter- the acoustics are alone- and then kicks back in.

While "beneath a towering tree" seems to just be those acoustic plucks and singing, like a folk song, "boy in a well" takes on a more serious, darker tone within the acoustics as the lyrics deal with a boy being stuck in a well and the mission to get him free.   The fourth track has a different vibe, almost like Zorro, but it still fits into the acoustics.   The fifth song, "she got carried away", has bass and drums which make it feel groovy.

By the last song you will have gotten the idea of how this EP is going to sound, but you'll also likely go back and listen a few more times to digest all of the lyrics.   There are stories within here and even on the last song lines such as "Slept under the stars in our underwear / one morning she wasn't there" can paint a broad picture in the imagination.

In the world today, it's tough to be an optimist.  Just look at Twitter and you'll see what I mean.   But not only is The Last Optimist offering up some hope here, there is a sense of being able to listen to this EP as a distraction, to forget about that outside world for a bit.   While it won't make your problems go away, it can help to ease your mind and perhaps see them a little bit differently.