To experience the emotion of the beach bum life is one that is hard to describe if you’ve never lived it. The sand in your toes, the sound of the waves cresting above the sea wall, the feeling of uniting with the ones you hold dear in front of an expansive beautiful view. Sadly, that first-hand experience is thousands of miles away for many. For the LA based Pop/Rock band Act As If, they bring that feeling of a bonfire in front of the Pacific straight to your ears with their latest EP Steady.
After quitting an A&R job at Drive-Thru records in 2008, lead singer Peter Verdell would embark on his own musical endeavors. In May 2010, Verdell would release his debut LP There Is a Light under the Act As If name. After much success with placements in various major television shows and advertisements, the lineup of Act As If was formed. After playing a number of shows throughout the Los Angeles area, the band recorded their first ep entitled “The Iron Is Hot.” The EP then gained quite a lot of attention throughout the blogosphere which then led to a video for their single “Oh My My” debuting on MTV.com.
On November 10, Act As If dropped their highly anticipated album Steady. If it hasn’t been already noted, I obsess over the beach. There is nothing like the water that hits your feet at the edge of the sea. When I first got ahold of Steady, I was instantly taken back to my favorite spot on Santa Monica beach.
The track that represents that LA feel is called “Keep Me By Your Side.” It depicts the image of a young couple enjoying what they have in front of them. It feels like a story of big city dreams and big city romance. “Keep Me By Your Side” opens up with an organ, hi-hat, and soft guitar giving you a chance to really absorb yourself into the lyrics. Next thing you know, you’re hit with a guitar riff and loud bass that hits that SoCal feel. As Peter and Sara Lindsay harmonize throughout it brings this x factor of romance to the song that you couldn’t achieve with a solo vocal. My favorite part of the track has to be the bridge. The classic rock echoing guitar solo brings be back to my childhood.
The track that everyone around the blog-world is talking about is “Uh-Huh.” This is a song which I envision myself in a top down convertible driving down the Pacific Coast Highway at a deafening level. It also revolves around relationships, which is a common theme on Steady. The song serenades the lover with constant reminders on how perfect she is. The only downside I have about the song is that it is so short! How am I supposed to hit the PCH at only two and a half minutes? With an upbeat 60’s style guitar that reminded me of a part in Madonna’s “Beautiful Stranger;” it’s hard not to love “Uh-Huh.”
It is a hidden fact about me, but I am a sucker for piano ballads. The final track on the album, “It’s That Simple”, feeds that need. It’s that raw emotion delivered by the piano and cello in the back that makes this the best track to end on. The track shows how badly he needs and wants to keep this woman in his life. He wants the validation after he may have done wrong that she still loves him. The craziest part of the song is I noticed my heart rate slowing down and becoming relaxed. Even with the deep theme it’s just a beautiful way to let the listener calm down after 11 amazing tracks.
I live quite a bit away from the nearest beach, but being transported to my favorite spot hundreds of miles away was a real treat. Each track on Steady you can picture yourself with a loved one on the beach, by yourself, or even with a group of friends. Act As If has created the perfect LA soundtrack. It is a teleportation device in the form of an album. How about sending yourself to the LA scene with Act As If’s Steady now!
Act As If on the web:
www.actasifmusic.com | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Soundcloud | iTunes
