That Was Then - That Was Then

That Was Then

That Was Then
self-released; 2015

3.3 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Theo Brcic, Christophe Couttolenc and Seth Brown are the three members of That Was Then. Their five song self-titled EP That Was Then sounds like quintessential “indie rock.” You can hear traces of bands like Modest Mouse, The Strokes, Pavement and The Pixies to name a few. By looking at pictures of the band I think it’s safe to say they are in high school or recently graduated. They are off to a good start and the songs while not feeling glaringly original or unique display solid skills in terms of songwriting and delivery.

It’s also evident they are young just by the lyrics. Take for instance “In My Head” which opens with the lyrics “This world is far gone / And everyone is sick of me / Am I doing it wrong / Or is it just the way things should be / Undecided / On the person I want to become / I’ll lose my shit / And everything will be good again.” “In My Head” is predictable and follows a pretty standard structure of soft verse and loud chorus.

There is a definite garage rock vibe on “Done Now.” The chorus sounds similar to something you might here from a band like The Strokes. I have to say the drumming was pretty good on this track. As with the first song the lyrics are indicative of someone who is in their late teens. The vocalist sings “Remember all those nights / When we didn’t hate each other’s guts / Running out of your basement with your dad coming down those stairs.”

“Wasted” has a bit of a funky vibe almost like Red Hot Chili Peppers (minus Flea) while “Pray Slow” is a pretty standard rock reminiscent of a band like Weezer. They close with a solid song entitled “All The Way.”

There is nothing inherently wrong with That Was Then but it still sounds like a band that is in their embryonic stage of discovering their sound. Overall, is a solid start that shows the band's innate chemistry. Now they just need to do a bit of digging to find out what if anything makes them unique.

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