A Band In Hope sees The Matches diverge from the previous pop punk sound heard on their last two albums (Decomposer & E.von Dahl) into a style that may be unfamiliar to old fans. This diversity was achieved by recording their latest album in a total of nine studio’s with seven producers ranging from John Feldmaan (Goldfinger) to Tim Armstrong (Rancid). This influence has lead to plenty of creative experimental songs that push the band into some new areas. However it’s initially hard to wrap your brain around this album as it has a bipolar nature with plenty of bleak mournful songs mixed with upbeat tunes. Even the title of the record can be interpreted two ways, a band in hope or abandon hope.
Shawn Harris (vocals/guitar) has stated that their albums are “Simply snapshots who we are at the time of making it” and that their latest, “Sways between hope and despair, and the hope one gets when they feel disillusioned and abandoned”.
AM Tilt opens the album with a slow tempo that holds the track back from reaching it’s full potential. This pretty average introduction finally unleashes some heavy rock riffs within the last few seconds, but it’s a case of to little, too late.
This is followed up with the fantastic sugar coated pop song, Wake The Sun. This one is likely to leave a smile on your face and it’s a shame there’s not more songs like this on the album, as its uplifting, upbeat and a lot of fun.
The gloomy side of the album then begins to show with Darkness Rising which has Shawn playing piano and swapping singing duties with Justin San Souci. This originally stripped back affair turns into a confusing mishmash of operatic vocals and dramatic Broadway style melodies. It’s a weird track that somehow remains compelling and has built on me after a number of listens.
While the album does contains a few forgettable tracks (To Build A Mountain & Future Tense) these are atoned for by, Point Me Towards The Morning, If I Were You and Their City. These memorable pop rock tracks containing positive messages and soaring vocal melodies with plenty of catchy hooks. We Are One also delivers the goods with a nice dose of rock accompanied by a rattling acoustic guitar and a great drum roll beat that will probably have you singing along “When we are loud we are one”.
The same cannot be said of the depressive 24c, which is easily the worst track on the album and consists of distorted drumming and morose vocals which overstay they’re welcome with a 4 min running time.
Things are slightly redeemed with the more interesting Clouds Crash which contains a simple acoustic guitar melody with moving violins and soft bell chimes that create a tune similar to the Beatles song Across The Universe. Between Halloween also captures the attention with some background keyboard work that highlight Queen style vocals and old school guitar hooks.
The fun filled Yankee In A Chip Shop, is the only track that’s really similar to their earlier work and was supposedly written after their visit to the UK when they were chased down the street by a local hood. The Ramones like hooks & catchy lyrics make this an instantly likable song which closes the album on a good note (Ignoring Proctor Rd, as its mostly an instrumental track).
Overall A Band In A Hope is a compelling if somewhat confusing record that will probably take a number of listens before you’ll be able to fully comprehend it. While half of the songs seem a bit downbeat and flat, the other half is full of optimism and hope. If you can appreciate this schizo aspect of the album then this album may slowly grow on you, but just don’t go into it expecting to hear instantly addictive fast paced songs like on their last albums.
Overall Rating: 70 / 100 pennies
Highlight tracks
- Wake The Sun
- Yankee In The Chip Shop
- Point Towards The Sun
- If I Were You
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