Since their return from hiatus in 2014 with their Further Sky EP, Basement have made steady progress with their songwriting. Colourmeinkindness found the band softening their sound with grungier influences after the hard-edged I Wish I Could Stay Here, and on their latest full-length, Promise Everything, the Ipswich quintet have refined it even further, demonstrating a knack for melody throughout.
Andrew Fisher's vocals play a significant role in this shift, as he abandons his scratchy yell almost entirely — save for moments on the title track, the album's only outright aggressive song — and embraces a cleaner style that finds his voice soaring on songs like "Lose Your Grip."
The hooks here are even stickier and more sure-footed here than in their previous work, with songs like "Aquasun" borrowing heavily in tone and texture from '90s radio rock acts like Jimmy Eat World. "Blinded Bye" and "For You The Moon" follow suit, the latter of which seamlessly transitions from sour to saccharine between the verse and chorus.
With Promise Everything, Basement have returned stronger than ever, and have taken great care to capitalize on the most effective aspects of their previous sounds to make a dynamic and cohesive whole here.
(Run For Cover)Andrew Fisher's vocals play a significant role in this shift, as he abandons his scratchy yell almost entirely — save for moments on the title track, the album's only outright aggressive song — and embraces a cleaner style that finds his voice soaring on songs like "Lose Your Grip."
The hooks here are even stickier and more sure-footed here than in their previous work, with songs like "Aquasun" borrowing heavily in tone and texture from '90s radio rock acts like Jimmy Eat World. "Blinded Bye" and "For You The Moon" follow suit, the latter of which seamlessly transitions from sour to saccharine between the verse and chorus.
With Promise Everything, Basement have returned stronger than ever, and have taken great care to capitalize on the most effective aspects of their previous sounds to make a dynamic and cohesive whole here.