On “The First & Last of the Perfect Parties,” Ren Martinez turns a singular college night into a broader elegy for innocence lost and fleeting joy. What begins with a slice of pizza on a lawn ends in emotional aftermath, as guitars build into a swirl of regret, euphoria, and self-reflection.
There’s a diaristic precision here—“I was 100% sober eating pizza on the lawn when the cops came” might just be one of the best opening lines of the year—and Martinez lets that specificity bloom into something universal. Her delivery is raw but melodic, teetering between wistfulness and acceptance.
If Fountains of Wayne had been fronted by a queer woman with a penchant for micro-moments and Julian Casablancas guitars, they might have made this song. Instead, Ren does—and makes it feel like the last chapter of a book you didn’t want to finish.
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