The Early November
In Currents
Rise Records (2012)
Sounds Like: A grown up Early November who hasn’t lost a step
Score: 9/10
Like a lot of kids, I listened to The Early November all the time in my younger days. I loved their triple-disc concept album and everything before it, too. I thought their musical legacy was pretty solid, as evidenced by how sad people got when they broke up in 2006. But when I heard that they were getting back together to release an album for the first time in six years, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Six years is a long while and people tend to change over time. So you can imagine how refreshing it was to listen to In Currents and hear the same band I loved, sounding just as great as ever.
Approaching this review a bit backwards, I must say that the second half of this record is incredible. “Guilt & Swell” is a slower jam but it’s far too catchy and well-written to overlook. I don’t know whether it was the cool riff at its outset that dives into a fun melody or the powerful ballad it turns into at the end, but I couldn’t get enough of this song. Losing someone you care for is difficult to write about, but this song flows smoothly and really showcases Ace’s voice. “That’s Not Your Real Name” and “Like a Kid” form a cool dynamic. The former is an acoustic song where the heartache in Ace’s voice is palpable (especially in the bridge, where he sort of lets loose). The latter is a fun song that keeps a catchy melody, aided in part by “ooh-ooh” backup vocals and lively guitar riffs.
The final three songs are the best on the album, in some order that I haven’t decided on yet. “The Smell of This Place” reminds me of the acoustic songs on The Mother, The Mechanic, and The Path because of the ultra-sweet guitar work (do I hear a ukulele?) and gut-wrenching yet hopeful lyrics. The bridge for this track is one of my favorite things the Early November has ever done; Ace puts a twang on his words crooning them over a neat little acoustic solo. “Wearing the Tie” is a trip back to The Room’s Too Cold, with that power-pop sort of feel, but melodies that only The Early November can produce. My only gripe with this song is the vocal style. While the rest of the album treats us to a more mature, refined Ace Enders, this sounds a bit muffled and didn’t work for me.
The last track on In Currents, “Call Off the Bells” could be a top-five song for this band’s career. A heartbreaker, it’s mostly spacey, sweeping guitars licks and soaring vocals, until near the end where Ace’s wife Jennifer joins in on guest vocals. Their voices blend perfectly into the song with their line, “Once upon a time, we were meant to be.” It’s yet another The Early November song that you will feel in your chest but enjoy with your ears.
Unfortunately, all that lauding for the second half of the record leaves me with a few complaints about the first. “A Stain on the Carpet” kicks the album off on what I’d say in an unnecessarily melancholic note. Whiskey and the ills that it can work on the mind is an unusual topic to begin an album with after a six-year absence, in my opinion. Especially when the following song, “Frayed In Doubt” could have been a much better leadoff track. They’re both good, well-written songs, I just feel like “Frayed…” has the energy “A Stain…” lacks. I also don’t agree with the selection of the title track as the first single off the record. To me, it’s an overly poppy weak spot.
Overall though, In Currents has made a bigger The Early November fan out of me than I already was. It’s an album that shows maturity in songwriting and overall perspective. Many bands can’t produce quality albums a year or two apart, much less six or seven. So I’m glad to say that if you’re nervous about checking this one out, don’t be.
-Felipe Garcia
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