Photos: Abigail McNatt
Review: Chris “Oberrated” Ober
Editor: Erica McNatt
Ausinette rips an EP that mashes their trademark high-energy style with an homage to the real legends of pop-punk while simultaneously challenging the future of the genre.
It is safe to say Ausinette has been running around the Pittsburgh scene for some time now… No literally, they have literally been running, have you seen these guys perform live? That’s besides the point. No matter how many projects these guys have been involved in, the aim is always to take it up one more notch or twelve, and with their EP, The Day the Music Dies, they are not only aiming for the moon, but they are also aiming to make a statement against the improper use of A.I. in a music world they love so much. It’s a bold move, but after a spin or two of this EP, the statement is made.
Sending a message and articulating a theme is one thing, but creating music in a way that authentically yells Ausinette while also paying respect to the pop-punk iconic sound that came before them is a whole different game in itself. The sound is there, the lyrical weaving of words sounds oh-so-familiar, and the breakneck pace of some of these songs can place ones consciousness in a circle pit at a 2000s Warped Tour or Mr. Smalls in 2026. All while, once again, making songs that are easily identifiable as a sound that comes from the Pittsburgh-based band.
Opening up the EP with their first released single, “Industry Lyfe” then quickly transitioning into a somehow faster paced track in “Go! (Go Go Go Go)” should elicit the feeling in anyone to have a desire to run through a wall. “If The Shoe Fits” notches one of two (that I’ve mentally noted) nods to A Day to Remember as it hits a sound similar to “If It Means A Lot To You,” on top of the undeniable urge to yell the lyrics of the song. Seriously, by the second spin, I was already wanting to scream the lyrics while on a night drive through town. “Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World” hits the ‘relatable’ button with lyrics that resonate with the masses touching on topics like ever changing life, yearning for connection, and that nagging plethora of bills that always come due. Then comes the very last hoorah when fight anthem “The Day The Music Dies” begins. For one final time the moshing pace of the drums, the combative lyrics, and some war-crying screams from DJ and Ritchie call for A.I.’s head.
Listen, I understand that A.I. can be a worthwhile and useful tool. However, a prompt in a machine could never create what The Day The Music Dies and Ausinette pull off. Each of this 5-piece group is heard in each song, if not every one of them. There is no disappearing to the background, there is no one member getting outshined by another, the EP showcases everyone’s sound, talent, and an overwhelming appreciation to the sounds of pop-punk that came before. Something a prompt could never do.
