One Last Job is a folk-rock project based out of Austin, TX. Combining intimate lyricism and a blend of instrumentation from soft acoustics to whirling synths, their most recent album, Been Here Ever Since, was recorded entirely by frontman Travis Klein from a laptop while travelling between Austin, TX, and Las Vegas, NV.

The album’s focus track ‘Beneath the Ocean’ is a genre-blend of indie-folk, lo-fi, and bedroom pop. It was entirely recorded in frontman Travis Klein’s living room on a 2012 Macbook running Ableton 11, then polished from various hotels and Airbnbs while travelling around the US. there is a pensive and slow-burn vibe present with the interface recording for guitar, bass, and vocals, then MIDI for drums and keys. It was mixed and mastered by Michael Briggs in Denton, TX. “It’s a song about gratitude. About being dizzied by what it means to be truly grateful but attempting to accept the proposition anyway. It’s my favorite song on the album.” 

Been Here Ever Since, is an intriguing musical journey from One Last Job. There is a renowned sound that weaves influences from the likes of Bright Eyes, Phoebe Bridgers, Car Seat Headrest, and Nana Grizol. They invite listeners into the multifaceted nuances throughout the twelve tracks.

Created solely by the frontman Travis Klein, the twelve tracks explore the concept of gratitude and his analysis of the scariness of acceptance, it’s a record filled with heart, sweat, and tears. Been Here Ever Since, showcases the musician’s superb range and versatility with an infectious atmosphere.

Each track is lyrically driven, with cohesive storytelling, with the overall theme throughout the album being about gratitude. It begins with a story that takes place toward the middle of college, where Travis is confronted with the idea that a lot of people don’t end up actively charting the courses of their lives – they fall into one decision after another until their whole lives go by. This project was a terrifying realization as it called the whole idea of free will into question. Throughout the collection of tunes, Travis analyzes what’s scary about acceptance, and eventually arrives at a new perspective.

Been Here Ever Since, showcases One Last Jobs’ artistic contrast, and energy, and is full of melodies that will capture the listener’s attention from the very first track. They strut an impassioned indie-rock sound creating a narrative of emotional and energetic exhaustion of the musician ending the musical journey with mastery. There are profound existential themes discussed throughout the twelve tracks combined with mesmerising soundscapes, raw vocals, and unadulterated honest lyrics.

Travis was travelling during the time of creating Been Here Ever Since, flying back and forth from his home in Austin, TX to Las Vegas NV. The album was almost exclusively recorded on jet-lagged Saturdays in his living room and tweaked on his laptop from different hotels and Airbnb’s.

On the album, One Last Job comments, “This album is a dialogue between gratitude and ambition. I start from a sort of standard “Western” worldview where individuality and ambition are of primary value, and then throughout the album, we go on a journey following that worldview to its logical extent before arriving at a new perspective grounded in gratitude and giving up some of that need for control. I hope it makes you smile.”

One Last Job is paving their way into the music scene with their promising sound on ‘Been Here Ever Since’. For more updates on them, please visit their social media and streaming platforms.