Written by Carmen Mueller
A new band that I have seen circling the rock scene is Point North. After their album A Light in a Dark Place came out last year, their EP has been highly anticipated. The group of five (Jon Lundin, Brady Szuhaj, Andy Hershey, Sage Weeber, and Timmy Rasmussen) from California recently released their newest EP Retrograde, and I think this is a group that will surprise a lot of people with how solid this project is.
The EP begins with the absolute banger “Never Coming Home”. It has the perfect mix of classic rock elements with the raging guitars and hard drums but also more electronic vocal effects. This song. It covers the pain that comes when a loved one leaves and there is no signs of things ever reconnecting. The rage and frustration is represented in the intensity of the track, while there is a bit of regret in the lyrics. It’s a great way to start the EP and it set the bar high for me.
“Wasted Art” begins with really cool staggering guitars and a radio-esque effect. They recall how their connection, that once was something so beautiful, is being consumed by pain and is no longer working. What once was so strong is now fragile and bound to break. It’s a heartbreakingly beautiful song without sacrificing its rock elements. The drums are heavy and the guitars that start the song take it all the way to the end.
Electric guitars bring us into “Better” which tells the stories of people who have lost the motivation to love themselves are help themselves. “Better” is a call to recognize everyone has problems, but we all have the ability to persevere and solve our issues. It’s a calmer rock song that really focuses on the singing. Their storytelling is great on this track and their ability to illustrate it is really impressive.
“Hotel Room” begins softer and builds on its ticking beat with an intense section of drums and guitar on the bridge. This song is one of the darker tracks on the project. There is a sadness that comes from always being on the go and trying to do your best that at the end of the day, home feels like a foreign place. The electronic elements in the song is really fun, and as it drifts to a close there is a bit of dialogue. You might recognize the voices of Charlie Heaton and Noah Schnapp from Stranger Things and their “You’re a freak” dialogue from the second season of the show. This was such an interesting bit to put into the song, but it adds so much character to the song.
The closing song “Gasoline” was the first and only single from the EP, and it’s a solid rock anthem. Raging electric guitars really drive this song and matches perfectly with the fired up lyrics. There’s a back and forth between wanting to be helped and two people who just can’t save each other. It’s such a powerful song and is going to sound amazing live!
Overall, I think this is a really strong set of songs for the boys to release. They’ve proved themselves capable of creating really captivating songs and can I’m excited to see what they come up with next!