Four albums deep into their career, Hundredth present Rare, an album that maintains little of the melodic metalcore sound they established on previous releases.
Wearing post-punk and shoegaze influence on their sleeves, album opener "Vertigo" is a warm welcome to uncharted territory for Hundredth. The followup (and first single), "Neurotic," is drenched in reverb and powered by atmospheric guitar leads, recalling bands like Nothing and Turnover.
"Suffer" successfully conveys melancholy without relying on lyrical delivery, but their adherence to rock tropes weighs the band down at times. "Grey," for example, lacks vocal presence, while "Hole" doesn't have the punch to sell their newfound fondness for shoegaze, making Rare feel too thin. Scattered electronics on "Shy Vein" and chorus pedal worship ("Chandelier" and "Departure") end the album on the right foot.
Rare isn't a bad record, but Hundredth's desire to cover new ground in rock music feels insincere and flimsy at times here; hopefully that improves as they continue to gain experience in the genre.
(Hopeless)Wearing post-punk and shoegaze influence on their sleeves, album opener "Vertigo" is a warm welcome to uncharted territory for Hundredth. The followup (and first single), "Neurotic," is drenched in reverb and powered by atmospheric guitar leads, recalling bands like Nothing and Turnover.
"Suffer" successfully conveys melancholy without relying on lyrical delivery, but their adherence to rock tropes weighs the band down at times. "Grey," for example, lacks vocal presence, while "Hole" doesn't have the punch to sell their newfound fondness for shoegaze, making Rare feel too thin. Scattered electronics on "Shy Vein" and chorus pedal worship ("Chandelier" and "Departure") end the album on the right foot.
Rare isn't a bad record, but Hundredth's desire to cover new ground in rock music feels insincere and flimsy at times here; hopefully that improves as they continue to gain experience in the genre.