Corey ShieldsThe already strong Mid-Ohio Valley music scene has a new heavy hitter this week, courtesy of Levi Westfall and The Last Call. October 22nd sees the release of their debut EP, “Fear of Missing Out.” With five well rounded and unique Americana tracks, the future looks strong for this new band.
Levi has been performing solo in the area for some time, writing original songs and being an active participant in local music events. By joining forces with other local musicians Chuck McPeek (guitar), Jay Mason (bass), and Jesse Forrest (drums), he created The Last Call, and was able to grow his music with more of a rock flavor while keeping his Americana roots. Each track presents a different tempo and feel. This is an EP done right. Rather than delaying the release to write a few extra songs during the recording process and create a full length album with filler, Levi cut to the chase, and narrowed his focus to his five strongest songs. The result leaves the listener confident that this is only the beginning of an exciting path for Levi and the band.
The EP opens with “Getting Good at Saying Goodbye,” an up-tempo straightforward rock song with a chorus that showcases strong backing vocals and some excellent drum fills from Jesse Forrest. A quick guitar solo, slow building bridge and powerful outro show the potential for some great live performances of this tune in the future.
The second song, “Abilene,” is a tune that will stay in your head for days. While having the feel of a story-song, the massive hook in the chorus will keep listeners interested as the song progresses. This one could easily be featured as a lead single, encompassing everything The Last Call excels at in a nice five minute package.
“Walls” offers a different perspective of the band, removing the classic rock vibes and bringing forth stacked down-tuned guitars. “Walls” is led by a delay-drenched guitar riff courtesy of Chuck McPeek. While staying true to the album’s theme of girls, cars, and love, this song shows promise for some sonic branching out in the future. The song feels like a cohesive band piece, and could help draw in fans of different genres.
The final two songs, title-track “Fear of Missing Out” and six-plus-minute jam “In a Rivertown” only strengthen the band’s appeal. Chuck’s off-time guitar riff in the former and the huge organ sounds provided by Jesse in the latter create two songs that show how much variety a four-piece band can offer. Make no mistake, this is a rock band at heart, but hearing them try new and different things makes for a great listening experience.
Written, recorded, and produced by the band members themselves, “Fear of Missing Out” is a solid five-track effort from a group that promises to grow into something special. Seasoned songwriting, strong musicianship, and a classic vibe that everyone can enjoy. It’s a short 25 minute taste of what is sure to become something great. Come hear the whole album at the release party October 22nd at Marietta Brewing Company. This will be your first chance to pick up a physical copy of the album. A digital release will follow in November.