French hardcore punk trio Birds In Row return with their first full-length record in six years, We Already Lost the World. The band's sophomore album carries on the sludgy, fuzzed-out punk sound they've developed over the course of numerous EPs, compilations and their buzzworthy debut, You, Me & the Violence, but with a gloomier vibe than before.
Thick and heavy, but with a slight rock'n'roll twang, Birds In Row deliver a powerhouse tone that captures everything you could want from a melodic hardcore act. Songs such as "Love Is Political" or "Remember Us Better Than We Are" are fuzzy, filled with feedback and throat-shredding vocals, yet still strike a sombre sound.
The band truly excel on the album when they dive into cleaner sounds though. The laid-back guitar riff and dense bass line on "We vs. Us" pairs perfectly with both clean singing and harsher screams, while closing track "Fossils" manages to balance frantic blasting drums with beautiful, crisp guitars.
Although it took a little while to see the light of day due in part to lineup changes, We Already Lost the World is an impressive piece of melodic noise punk. The record strikes a great balance between heavy and clean tones while building the band's sound into something unexpected, further solidifying their position next to other great acts within the genre.
(Deathwish Inc.)Thick and heavy, but with a slight rock'n'roll twang, Birds In Row deliver a powerhouse tone that captures everything you could want from a melodic hardcore act. Songs such as "Love Is Political" or "Remember Us Better Than We Are" are fuzzy, filled with feedback and throat-shredding vocals, yet still strike a sombre sound.
The band truly excel on the album when they dive into cleaner sounds though. The laid-back guitar riff and dense bass line on "We vs. Us" pairs perfectly with both clean singing and harsher screams, while closing track "Fossils" manages to balance frantic blasting drums with beautiful, crisp guitars.
Although it took a little while to see the light of day due in part to lineup changes, We Already Lost the World is an impressive piece of melodic noise punk. The record strikes a great balance between heavy and clean tones while building the band's sound into something unexpected, further solidifying their position next to other great acts within the genre.