Two initial comments about this album: First of all, while the hand-painted artwork is pretty cool, the tracklisting on the back is a bit confusing. I’m not sure what order the songs are in, whether they’re forming a circle around the sun, or they’re in two separate columns, although I suspect it’s the latter. The second thing worth noting is that the band’s singer, March, bears an uncanny vocal resemblance to Chris Cornell. Whether it’s by intensive practice or pure coincidence, I’m not sure, although it’s led some people to compare the band’s music to Audioslave, Soundgarden, and the like. But lemme tell ya, unlike Cornell’s latest album, there ain’t no dance music on this record!
Opening track Hanging On is a straight-ahead rocker, which deserves some Audioslave comparisons. The solo part near the end is pretty cool, with airy, fuzzed-out guitars.
Track two, Forever Within, starts out slowly, with a desert rock vibe. The chorus gets heavier, before switching back into mellow territory. Pretty decent guitar solo on this one, too.
Reflecting Bad Vibes is one of my favourite tunes on the record. The main riff is swimming in buzzsaw distortion, creating a cool effect. The breakdown that comes in around the 3:10 mark is fucking killer! Things slow down considerably around 4:40, taking us into a mellow outtro.
Tattoos Leave Scars starts off with acoustic guitar, and sounds like one of those heart-felt ballads—that I personally am not a big fan of. Neverending Chase has a more upbeat pace and the same trademark fuzzy guitar tone as heard throughout the album. Pretty decent middle section that begins around the 3:10 mark. The Light That Shines After starts off mid-paced, but slows down 30 seconds in, and pairs vocal-driven verses with an overdriven guitar chorus.
Tripping Through is another personal fav, kicking off side two. (Actually, it’s the second track in the second column…) A solid rhythm section anchors a twisting guitar riff that dances underneath the soaring vocal line. The best part comes in around the 3:30 mark, as a doomy riff meets a lightning-fast guitar lead. The transition to Finding Inbetween in practically seamless, as it starts off in melancholy doom territory, with a kickass stoner/doom breakdown chorus. Track 8 is truly the hidden gem on this release.
Letter Song is more upbeat than its predecessor, but slogs around in mid-paced territory, with echo-driven vocals and a chorus that doesn’t do much for me. Sun Party is another decent into desert rock territory, bringing the album to a close.
Although the 10 track, 50 minute release isn’t really earth-shattering or particularly ground-breaking, it’s still a cleanly-produced, solid-sounding album with a few standout tracks. That being said, I think it has more appeal to fans of Audioslave and guitar-driven mellow rock than the bearded stoners toking to OTIS in a dingy basement. But if anything, that speaks to how professional-sounding this record is, in that there are songs that wouldn’t sound out of place on commercial rock radio. Reflecting Bad Vibes, Tripping Through and Finding Inbetween wouldn’t sound outta place on Smokin’ Green, either, should CKLN and the RSU ever get their shit together.
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