Esso
Audio By Carbonatix
Jared Mancuso and his band bring big-screen energy with their newest album, “Just Like in the Movies,” channeling different iconic films and cinematic tropes within each new song.
The small band rocks out with groovy undertones, actual instrumental interludes, and energetic mixing. The fun and detailed production has you singing along to the bright anthems almost immediately.
Their sophomore album features 10 original tracks, which can be enjoyed nonstop in a little over 30 minutes, with the album dropping on October 10 on streaming platforms.
To experience the full album live, folks 21 years and older can attend the free release show at Thunderbird Lounge in uptown Phoenix on October 12 at 8 p.m.
With a background in theater and experience in tribute bands, Jared has always had a knack for music, learning to play by ear. His musical endeavors date back to picking up the bass when he was 10 years old.
“When I was in, like, maybe fifth or sixth grade, we did this thing where it was like, draw a picture of yourself in the future. And it was me with a big beard and this kind of scraggly hair, and I was holding a guitar,” Jared said. “I think being a musician was just kind of always in the back of my mind.”
While he’s not sporting a big beard or scraggly hair, instead favoring a clean-shaven ’50s vibe, Jared will be shredding on guitar along with the three other musicians who help bring the energy for live shows.
After creating the album cover, inspired by 1970s movie posters, the album’s production kicked into high gear this past June. The poster features easter eggs of Jared’s life and is the inspiration for the settings and stories chronicled in the album.
Esso
For this album, he focused on creating catchy songs that make audiences feel like the main movie character. The process starts with a melody, and then Jared works with the instrumental, thinking about how it will influence the lyrics without making them too literal or cringy.
“I’ll only allow myself to go like so on the nose with it, before I start to cringe at my own lyrics,” Jared said. “I realized there’s like a lot of bizarre lyrics out there. I have to remind myself constantly that there are plenty of hit songs that have particularly terrible lyrics and it’s okay.”
To avoid “particularly terrible lyrics,” he has full creative control, having written and recorded all the lyrics and instrumentals himself.
Every song is a little bit different, hopping genres as character arcs are described in the singer’s tenor, with the album’s sound feeling like a soundtrack ripped right out of an early 2000s movie.
If you’re looking for a comedic coming-of-age anthem for any underdog to make their comeback to, try “Leading Man Syndrome.” Or if you’re feeling a little more nostalgic, give “I’m your Density” a listen and go way, way back in the tribute to the cult classic, as it weaves in iconic references to the ‘80s movie with heavy guitar and Beach Boy harmonies.
Around the midpoint of the album, “What we do” offers a slightly country tune as the backdrop for a reflective thank you note. In the self-aware song, literally talking about the band’s success and the process of writing the song, Jared can be the leading man of the moment.
Working with the sound engineer from his first album, Jared was able to mash iconic rock riffs and bright orchestral violin, maintaining a cinematic quality throughout the whole album.
These strings are on full display as the album breaks into its third act, Jared brings the drama in moodier songs like “Kiss of Death,” inspired by movies such as the James Bond films.
While studious listeners can try to parse out all of the easter eggs from the album poster and try to catch all the movie references, the oddball of the album is “Dark Addiction.”
The song is the only one not about a movie; instead, the theatrical song is a dramatic ode to Jared’s black coffee addiction and is a testimony to creative aspirations being drawn from anywhere.
Esso
You can feel the inspiration from bands like Weezer, Everclear, Pixies and The Cure, as Esso brings electric rhythms, thumping bass lines, crashing drums and dynamic distortion, you can’t help but move to the music.
“I think about bands like The Cure and Pixies, and as obscure and alt-rocky as they are in the zeitgeist, they still wrote incredibly catchy songs,” Jared said. “So I think when you write something catchy, you hope that it can also make it into pop culture and that people will listen to it and be like, ‘oh, I want to hear that again.’”
Although there are catchy lyrics and some punchy one-liners, this album isn’t a compilation of clipped choruses strung together for social media and virality. Instead, this album’s songs have the quality meant for burnt-out people looking to escape into a fictional idea, romanticizing their lives for a moment before crashing back into the tumultuous world.
“I want people to listen to something and not think about the world for a whole minute because everybody needs a break,” Jared said. “Hopefully, people can listen to something that has nothing to do with current affairs and let that moment be for recharging, so they can be like, ‘all right, now let’s go fight the fight.’
Jared hopes to expand to statewide shows as ESSO and their fans continue to grow, but for now, he just can’t believe the album is about to come out and is excited to catch locals live throughout the valley.
Esso, Kylo Gun and Super Drive Sunday will play on October 12, at 8 p.m. at Thunderbird Lounge. Shows are 21 and over. Admission is free.
