Rust - Basement Tapes (EP)

Rust

​Basement Tapes (EP)
self-released; 2015

​3.4 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

On the Bandcamp page for Rust it describes their music as good old-fashioned rock n' roll slapped in the face with the kickass of punk. That’s about as an accurate description as any when you take a listen to their EP Basement Tapes. The entire EP runs just under eight minutes in length and goes by so quickly it feels like a mere sample of what the band is capable of.

The four-piece band comprised of Dylan Rex (vocals/rhythm guitar), Alessandro Consuelos (lead guitar), Zachary McDonald (bass) and Michael Mazzucco (drums) are more about the feeling and emotion of a song than being perfectly in time. Some of the allure about these songs is that the drummer rather than a click track probably established the groove. The band sways back and forth together speeding up and then slowing down. Nothing seems forced or contrived. 

The first song  “You're My Girl (I'm Not Your Man)” starts with some hi-hat work and a couple of chords strummed on the guitar and vocals. I noticed some similarities in Rex’s vocals to Jack White. In fact, I noticed similarities in the other songs as well. Unless I’m missing something the song seems to be about a possessive dickhead boyfriend who doesn’t seem to want to settle down with one lady. Rex sings, “Cos if you want me on your side. You'll have to break down my pride Don't think of me as a boy who needs someone to cling to / Cos I'm a man who can be harsh if he has to. You're my girl. I'm not your man.”

The next track “Mr. Bartholomew” taps into a similar subject matter about someone treating someone else like complete garbage. With a Jack White inflection Rex sings, “You say you've got friends who aren't so nice And you tell me I'm gonna pay my price For treating you like the shit that you are You're gonna put my nuts in a pickle jar. Tell me, friend. Who do you think you are?”

“Hello Darling” is a girth-y song at four-plus-minutes and contains the most overt punk feel. The chord progression is more akin to punk from bands like The Ramones and The Buzzcocks than modern day pop punk. As the song progresses I was impressed by some of the bass fills and the way the band almost changes genres with some of their transitions. 

Basement Tapes is simply too short to make any claims. They are off to a good start but I can’t say this EP solidified much of a signature sound other than a band who melds rock and punk. I’m looking forward to hearing more from the band soon.

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