Music has all different kind of purposes. To entertain, to dance and to sing; but the real purpose, for any music lover, is to feel a connection with it. American emo/punk rock band, Pentimento, recently released their sophomore record, I, No Longer and it’s absolutely stunning. Through heart-wrenching lyrics and grounded punk/emo music, the four-piece have unleashed themselves into the world by establishing reality when it comes to heartbreak; the void one tries to fill up when they can no longer think of a solution to piece together what’s broken.
In terms of their music progression, Pentimento have allowed themselves to take on board a sound developed from Jimmy Eat World’s Clarity and Death Cab For Cutie’s Transatlanticism. Two records that have been noted as the must-haves of the emo genre.
When it came to listening to this record, what made it impressive was the fact that Pentimento were just so deep and sincere with their words; it was the honesty that struck as beautiful and something that stood out from the release. When you hear songs like “My Solution is the Lake” and “Stuck Forever”, there’s a lot of emotional intensity to take in, but in a good way.
Because of the nostalgic feels this record gives, it has opened up this shelter of comfort with its intuitive guitar riffs that evoke every kind of emotion. When you begin to hear the lyric, “But what you’re waiting for isn’t worth the wait,” it’s the gut-wrenching feeling of knowing that a relationship cannot be saved. The ballad style of music this record portrays is solid and you can’t help but feel empathetic as you hear Jeremiah Pauly’s emotive vocals fused together with its melancholic instrumentation.
With Pentimento, their lyrics come by through their struggles and this is something so prominent from this record. Even from the dark titles of each of the songs, the brutality that licks through the words in the songs capture a moment in time that yeah, life can be pretty shit when it comes to ending a relationship. You could imagine how losing yourself in depression can get to you and it’s obvious how “Slow But Sure” describes the comfort one finds in substances like alcohol and drugs to numb the pain, specifically for heartache. It is because of this concept, you feel that struggle in coping with these tragic emotions; where everything feels like it’s already the end.
Because the band are so poetic with their lyrics, you could pretty much visualise the tragedies that happen in say Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet when you give this record a listen. Despite its heartbreaking tendencies, I, No Longer is undeniably cathartic and one of those gems you’ll cherish for years to come. Pentimento have so much talent and to have them take on board influences that have shaped a generation of listeners is to say that I won’t be surprised if they become the next thing since Jimmy Eat World.
It’s hard to come by albums that can be emotional without being too intense, and although Pentimento have songs that do capture this emotional intensity, it’s a record that gets better each listen. It has a timeless factor to it because of the substance it embodies for many people that need comfort in times of need; in times where they feel like they have an inability to fix things.
I, No Longer is a breathtaking record that never skips a beat when it comes to striking the emotional chord. In ten years time, this record would’ve touched thousands of listeners and for that to even be a future outcome is an outstanding achievement. Pentimento have proven to themselves that they’re a band that aren’t afraid to put their hearts on their sleeves, even if the intricate details that come with it are absolutely heartbreaking.
Review Score: 9.0 out of 10 
I, No Longer is available now
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