Nick Pistoia is a musician who was previously in the bands Modern Hell and Samson. He recently went solo and released a five-song EP Angel Fire with the intention of forming a band when he moved back to Los Angeles. Pistoia mentions “Angel Fire is a collection of songs inspired by my favorite singer/songwriters: Paul Westerburg, Liz Phair, Bob Mould, George Harrison and Neil Young.”
The EP had to my ears a rock sound I associate with the ’90s. I was in high school back then and was listening to bands from Touch and Go Records. This release went down smoothly for me and I was able to appreciate the songs on first listen. The EP begins with “Pool” and it begins with a 4/4 beat, jangly guitars and a buoyant bass line. I’m inclined to think Pistoia put this as the opener because it had some very catchy vocal melodies. In fact the verse was just as infectious as the chorus. It’s just a great groove with a memorable vocal melody. The chorus amplifies the intensity when he sings “Liquid knows no bounds; surrounds an endless summer.” I thought the fade out was an interesting choice. The energy increases on the banger “Last Time.” It's a pretty straightforward tune with a good amount of distortion and hard hitting drums. The dynamics stay relatively stable for most of the song and the song goes by quickly at a little over two minutes. “Love from God” is the arguable highlight on the groove. This song is very dynamic with guitars that punctuate certain points in the riff. It’s also got some great vocal work, builds and some additional fuzz towards the end which gets the song into aesthetics of Smashing Pumpkins or My Bloody Valentine. “Blush” was a great one as well. The vocals were very emotive on this song. There’s a sense of longing and yearning to his voice I didn’t hear before. This song felt cathartic as well. Pistoia sings “Make a simple life / I need the simple life / I lead the simple life / I breed the simple life” as if it has to happen before there is peace. “How Loose” starts with a sort of melancholic vibe but when the drums come the emotion changed for me. It felt like the mood went from melancholy to melancholy with some gratitude. This hits hardest when he sings “Savor the moment / If it’s not already gone.” I thought this was a great EP. It’s raw but well produced and the songwriting and delivery is top notch. On that note I look forward to hearing what happens in LA when he finds a band to play with. Recommended.
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