With the release of her first EP Something to Hide, RENE takes us on a spiel of pop-punk fantasy. Going down memory lane, her debut conjures the memories of many close-to-heart teen rock trends throughout the past 20 years: whether it be the new-age pop-punk of State Champs, the MTV glitz of Complicated-era Avril Lavigne, or jangly guitar-pop à la The 1975. Yet despite her efforts, RENE slightly falls short in sculpting a unique sonic identity that successfully straddles these genres, leaving us overwhelmed with five very different tracks awkwardly bundled together.

On this five-track release, her songwriting threatens to befall a fate similar to Icarus, flying a little too close to the sound of her heroes for comfort. On Leaving Anyway, RENE goes much further than a humble nod to Avril Lavigne’s Let Go – filling the song with a full arsenal of nostalgic sonic callbacks, from its record scratches to its sampled vocal shots. Hiding behind the salt pillars of heavily-polished production, these sonic influences are thinly veiled, lurking insidiously in the background and distracting from her originality as a singer-songwriter. At times, they even prevent the tracks from defining themselves beyond the sum of their roots. In fact, as I listened to the aforementioned track, I couldn’t help but keep thinking: “cool, this really sounds like Avril Lavigne from way back!”. 

In the context of the full EP, it’s a  crack that only grows bigger. RENE’s aversion in identifying a consistently distinct sonic character for herself leaves us with a list of five tracks that feel like individual parts, rather than a cohesive EP that tells a story. The first two tracks show this dynamic best. The EP opens with the raw, abrasive Paramore-like opener U.F.O., setting the table with a delicious fuzzy edge. But by leading directly into the jangly 1975-esque pop of Off My Mind – devoid of anything remotely “punk” – that impact and promising momentum evaporates immediately, only confusing the listener. Variety can help freshen ideas, but these 5 tracks are unfortunately situated in gulfs stretched way too far apart.

I’m a huge fan of pop-punk myself,  - but it hardly helps an up-and-coming singer-songwriter to be following so closely in the footsteps of her idols. By doing so, she handicaps herself in an unwinnable race, where her identity will always struggle to pull away from world-famous artists.

It’s unfortunate, because RENE’s capabilities are by no means subpar. The explosive riffing on opening track U.F.O. and the atmospheric roar of guitars in closer The Whole World Shook Alive hold some fantastic moments. Here, the band’s ability shines through: drummer Joshua Cheng comes through with some thunderous Travis Barker-like fills, while the guitar parts from producer Bani Hidir and RENE herself are expressive and largely enjoyable. The EP’s production quality is also extremely polished, which really helps to accentuate the important pieces of her auditory puzzle at the right moments - though its overly sterile nature occasionally detracts from the energy she seeks to convey.

Much of RENE’s personality still remains concealed behind many opaque layers of sonic worship, holding back her immense potential. She may still have some peeling back to do – but for now, her first EP is an apt representation of her obscured stylistic signature: Something To Hide.

Read our review of Off My Mind, the lead single off Something To Hide here.

Watch the music video for U.F.O. here:

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