We
Are The Ocean are back with their third full-length release, throughout
their career We Are The Ocean have changed their sound a number of
times, beginning with post-hardcore sound, then changing to the southern
rock sound they produced on their second full length ‘Go Now And Live’.
‘Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow’ is a natural progression from the last
album and it seems as if the band have finally developed a sound which
they are happy with and will continue with in the future.
The
album begins with ‘Stanford Rivers’ which works as a short intro to the
album. The Intro is slow and is cleverly used before the first single
‘Bleed’ which explodes the album into life. Heavy drum beats provide the
platform for vocalist Liam Cromby to use his silky rock voice to create
a powerful rock song with a highly addictive chorus. ‘Young Heart’
slows proceedings down, but is typical of the easy listening sound that
WATO seem so skillful at creating. Liam’s voice is beautifully
complemented by calming guitar tones.
‘Story
of A Modern Child’ is another track on the album which relies on it’s
chorus to make the song appealing to the ear. Similarly to the ‘Bleed’
the chorus seems to create a soulful number similar to the likes of The
Gaslight Anthem who have become so successful with their soul punk
sound. ‘Machine’ is a much more anthemic number, repeated drum beats and
Cromby’s vocals creates a powerful track which flows perfectly into
“The Road” which contains the most catchiest of choruses. Again Cromby’s
vocals are key in the success of this song, the instrumentation syncing
perfectly with the vocals to create such an emphatic and anthemic
number.
‘Golden
Gate’ is a much more slower and easy listening rock song, this track
allows the listener to appreciate the clever use of instruments, thanks
to experimental guitar tones which work well. ‘Maybe Today, Maybe
Tomorrow’ picks up the tempo further but has a much more softer chorus
than previous tracks on the album. Again, the guitar and drum works are
cleverly implemented to create another wonderful slice of soul punk.
‘Pass me by’ is a slower more folky track, new territory for We Are The
Ocean. The band show great variety and depth of sound with this track.
The album then comes to an end with ‘Chin Up, Son’ which features Liam
Cromby’s vocals and an acoustic guitar. It’s a fitting conclusion to a
very well constructed album, and provides a great showcase of Cromby’s
vocal talent.
The
album is very much worth listening to if you’re a fan of
straightforward easy listening alternative rock or soul punk. The band
seemed to have finally found a sound to settle with, their previous
album ‘Go Now And Live’ received positive reviews, and ‘Maybe Today,
Maybe Tomorrow’ will work as another stepping stone for the future
success of the band.
Gallows
are back with a new self-titled album, shortly after receiving some
criticism in recent times after replacing their former frontman Frank
Carter with new frontman Wade MacNeil (ex-Alexisonfire).
The album begins with the opening track ‘Victim Culture’
which begins with an eery intro in the form of a woman’s voice, before
exploding into a gang vocal frenzy. It is the perfect beginning to a
hardcore punk record containing an extremely catchy chorus, which is
accompanied by scintillating riffs and heavy tones throughout to give a
perfect platform for the rest of the album.
The momentum continues to build through ‘Everybody Loves You’ and ‘Last June’ with
gang vocals, riffs and bass lines reminiscent of older Gallows works.
Wade’s vocals seem to blend perfectly to the fast nature of the songs. ‘Outsider Art’ and ‘Vapid Adolescent Blues’
are both energetic numbers,continuing the theme of mixing gang vocals
and aggressive vocals with riotous riffs. The first half of the album
contains many hooks which makes it extremely enjoyable to listen to as
well as being able to appreciate the excellent instrumentation.
There is no lack of energy, and momentum continues to the very end of the album thanks to the likes of ‘Depravers’ and ‘Cross of Lorraine’ which maintains the consistent sound and never ending energy that is present throughout the album.
MacNeil’s
vocals are a particular highlight of the album, complementing the
powerful sound that Gallows produce instrumentally. MacNeil’s vocals
tell me that he is back and is raring to kick start his future in
Gallows, the vocals are a crucial element to Gallows new Hardcore Punk
sound they have produced which is very reminiscent of hardcore punk
heroes Comeback Kid. This album should lay the perfect platform for a
very successful UK tour next month.
Not
everyone is going to be a fan of the album, some will have preference
of Frank Carter whose vocals created the refreshing new British punk
sound after the release of ‘Orchestra of Wolves’
back in 2006. Gallows fans should remain loyal to the band because
there is no doubting the exciting impact of Wade’s vocal talent which
has contribution of creating a very energetic, punchy and perfectly
delivered self-titled album. It will I’m sure, benefit Gallows in the
long term and secure their future as a successful band.
Rating - 4/5
