As I mentioned in my recent piece about the new REYNA EP, the Milwaukee Alternative music scene has been thriving over the last few years. After having some eyes put onto the scene by Alternative fans around the country because of the success of artists like Vinyl Theatre and Juiceboxxx, the scene has been more successful than it has ever been with newer artists like Diet Lite, Social Cig, and SCAM LIKELY starting to see success online. One artist who has put more eyes on the Milwaukee Alternative music scene than anyone in recent history is The Keystones. The Keystones have been on a rapid rise since debuting about 5 years ago. In 2019, they had two singles, ‘Miss Connection’ and ‘2010,’ go viral, putting them on the map as one of the most exciting new acts emerging out of Milwaukee at the time. The group has kept the momentum from these two singles going over the last few years, releasing several more singles between 2020 and 2022 before putting out their debut EP, The Keystones EP, in the summer of 2022. In 2023, The Keystones have stayed prolific in their output, having released several singles in 2023, including a collaborative track with the aforementioned Vinyl Theatre called ‘Bradford Beach’(I actually wrote about a couple of those singles in some pieces I put out earlier this year on The Keystones, so go check out those after your done reading this one if you have not yet). About a week ago, The Keystones dropped a new EP called Rearview. The group is hoping to continue the momentum they have been building this year with Rearview and once again prove why they are considered one of the top up-and-coming artists from Milwaukee right now. With that being said, here is how I feel about The Keystones’ new EP Rearview. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from Rearview, and also comment on how you feel about it as a whole.
The Keystones start this EP out on a bright note with the title track, ‘Rearview.’ This is a sunny and light track that almost feels like a modern Pop-Rock take on some of the most popular music from The Beach Boys. ‘Rearview’ has a sweet and colorful guitar riff that drives the melody; this guitar riff is so clean and crisp, giving the song such a warm feeling. For the most part, the instrumentation on this track is pretty light, having a Pop-tinted sound that is very easy-going. Toward the end of the track, the instruments get played a bit harder and the tempo picks up, giving the song a bit more of a harsh Alternative Rock element. I really like how the low and husky vocals on this track mesh with the instrumental. The vocal performance makes this track feel so warm and full. ‘Rearview’ is a welcoming and balmy Pop-Rock track that would be perfect to listen to on a summer day at the beach or a lake. ‘Tears of Tanqueray’ keeps the light, summery feeling of the last song and modernizes it a bit. Whereas the last track sounds inspired by The Beach Boys, this one sounds more inspired by early 2010s Indie Rock groups like Two Door Cinema Club or The Wombats. For most of the track, the instrumentation has a glitchy and brittle feeling to it that is reminiscent of the Dance Rock those bands made. Towards the end of the track, the instrumentation gets a lot tougher and more distorted, taking on a sound that makes me think of Weezer. It is interesting how the melody and tone of the song feel a bit more melancholy and downtrodden when instrumentation gets tougher. The vocals on this track have an interesting effect on them that makes them sound like the singer is far away. I like this effect, as it makes the song feel a bit cold and especially fits the harsher feeling that comes in at the end of the song. ‘Tear of Tanqueray’ is a unique and cool track with influences that can draw in multiple kinds of Alternative Rock fans. The first half of the song is for more modern Indie Rock fans, and the second half feels more tailored to fans of 90s Alternative Rock.
‘People You Meet’ is a song with a bit darker and more gloomy melody and sound than the two songs that precede it. Whereas those tracks feel like they are suited for the summer, this one feels like it is more suited for the fall. When I first heard this track, I immediately thought of Goth Music from the late 1980s and early 1990s. It is a track that definitely sounds like it takes inspiration from artists like The Cure or Siouxsie and The Banshees. The best way I can describe this track is that it feels like a 1990s Goth track with a modern Alternative Rock flair. The tone of this track feels like a Goth track, but the way the instruments are arranged feels more like current Alternative Rock. The vocal performance on ‘People You Meet’ is awesome. The ghastly tone that the lead singer sings with fits the Gothic feeling of the song, making it pop in the best way. ‘People You Meet’ is a cool modern take on the Gothic that so many Alternative Rock fans appreciate. The Keystones close out Rearview with the song ‘Tenant.’ This is the hardest song on the record. It is also the most complex one. Although every other track does seem by some form of older Rock music, the potential inspiration for this track is harder to pinpoint. There are elements of the track that bring to mind 1980s Yacht Rock, and there are other elements of the track that are reminiscent of 1990s Alternative Rock and Post-Grunge. There are even elements of the mix that have a psychedelic feeling; this song is full of otherworldly sound effects that make the song very trippy. ‘Tenant’ is a song that somehow feels warm and cold at the same time; the tone of the melody is cozy and pleasant, but the harshness in which it is played makes it sound a bit metallic and abrasive. The vocal performance on this song tows the line between the charming nature of the melody and the grating nature in which it is played; the way this song is sung is riveting, and it captures the feeling of the instrumental so well. ‘Tenant’ is an intricate and powerful track that shows yet another side to The Keystones’ artistry that I did not expect on this record. It is a great way to close out the project, as it is probably the most powerful song on Rearview.
As I mentioned in the introduction, The Keystones have been on a rapid rise to stardom over the last couple of years. With this new EP, Rearview, it is easy to see why this band is held in such high regard. Even though the project is only four tracks, Rearview shows a level of diversity and eclecticism that makes them stand out among other rising Alternative acts today. Whether you are a fan of 90s Goth music, Post-Grunge Alternative, 2010s Indie Rock, or prefer the more Pop-Punk-driven direction that is dominating most Alternative Rock music today, there is something that you will enjoy on Rearview. This project is yet another thing that cements The Keystones as one of the most thrilling artists coming up in Milwaukee today and in the Alternative Rock world in general. Rearview is a great addition to The Keystones’ catalog, and it makes me very excited to see what they do next.
EAST SIDE VIBES 