Photo Credit: Gordon Emmerson
The Unitaskers
The formula for making a solid rock record is one of the few unbroken molds in music’s history. Energy is a key component, and the mesh of melody and aggression to varying degrees are also essential. All of those factors are present on The Unitaskers’ latest EP, The Last Pillar of Light. However, the band isn’t afraid to be a bit left-of-center at times, invoking more experimental elements on songs like recent single “French Tuck!,” which features ample cowbell and a soccer-style chant a la Ricky Martin’s “The Cup of Life.” It’s a blissfully odd amalgamation of sounds, with a primitiveness at times that feels utterly care-free and fun. It’s just one of the bright spots on the band’s debut five-track EP.
“Originally we had planned to release one song per month back in 2018” said frontman Dylan Thomas. “Each of us took the lead on one of these songs, and as the project developed, we realized that we really liked these songs. We thought that they could live in a little bit more of a fleshed out environment.”
While all of the songs are of quality, no two tracks on The Last Pillar of Light sonically mesh perfectly with one another. Part of that is the end result of having five songwriters with different backgrounds taking a vision and presenting it to the group. Founders Thomas and Joey B, as well as guitarist Keegan Phillips come from a more traditional indie rock background, whereas bassist Ian York and drummer Andy de Junco have a more experimental music history. However, this has created essentially two different sounds for the band, and a range of styles to pull from when orchestrating a live set.
“We were able to get into our practice space about two months ago,” said de Junco. “From there, we were practicing old material, and then not long after, new ideas were already being presented.”
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“We have a back log of material that people who have seen us live already know and are attached to” said Thomas. “Then we also pretty much have another record worth of material that is evocative of this EP, and really pushes out from there.”
As a debut EP, The Unitaskers are in many ways discovering what they are truly capable of as a band. Fortunately for them, The Last Pillar of Light is a project that reveals their true potential, and it lays the foundation for a body of work that will assuredly only continue to grow and develop their sound.
