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More then a carbon copy of today's Pop/Power Pop leaders.-
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| Last Winter: The Heart & The Broken Compass |
Power Pop
Lifeforce Records
August 2nd, 2011
- Copper Bones - 3:51
- Nightlaunch - 3:37
- Northern Lights - 4:09
- Neptune - 3:18
- More than You Know - 3:37
- Yellowbelly - 3:48
- Where We're Going We Don't Need Roads - 3:56
- Hide Your Eyes - 3:50
- Architects - 3:35
- Arrows - 4:43
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| Review Information |
Release length: 38:24
Review posted on July 11th, 2011
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| | Overall Score: 7/10 |
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| Discography |
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed. |
| Full-Length(s): |
Transmission: Skyline (2006) • Under the Silver of Machines (2007) • The Heart & The Broken Compass (2011)
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| Review |
Last Winter is a recent signing that may throw fans of Lifeforce Records off course a bit. While the label does a good job of signing a variety of bands, typically issuing sleek sounding releases from them whether it sounds good or not, it's always been dominated by Metal or Metal-related styles and bands. However, Last Winter's third full-length recording The Heart & The Broken Compass is an album that simply doesn't follow those general concepts of the label, as this is a Power Pop group (which, upon research, is a label that can date back to the days of The Beatles, and not necessarily a Pop approach with Power Metal overtones like I thought and found quite odd). So, why is this review going up for it? Because like many others, I hate buying something of a label I known typically issues Metal and puts out something completely different and feeling like I was misled. I'm not closed minded and immediately wanted to snap this in half, and honestly I walked into this CD a bit anxious to hear it, as well as anxious to warn the Metal-goers out there of this situation. Will this be an impressive effort that even if fans of the label did buy it not knowing the style, would they still like it?
Like many of Lifeforce Record's albums, this release has a rather stylish production to the audio. Everything sounds sleek and modern. However, this production is where the biggest problem comes into play at times. That same audio that sounds sleek and clear also sounds a little higher pitched then it should be, and many times through the recording the guitars sound a little too shrill. The overall atmosphere feels airy and what one would come to expect with a modern Alternative Rock band with a more Pop output, but the music just feels thin thanks to the quality and simply isn't rich enough to really grab the listener in a delightful manner. Instead, some of the higher guitar chords, including the random lead chords that play over the music at times, such as during the first track "Copper Bones", can become really shrill and just hurt to listen to. Other then that, the drums sound good and keep the pace of the music well, even filling some of the more hollow gaps that the production may cause on the recording, though the cymbols don't help with those more shrill moments, and the bass is pretty loud in the mix that it becomes distinctive, but even they suffer from that higher pitch and just don't seem to really do much for the guitars, though the higher level does add an extra layer to the music that helps to keep the music sounding rich. The vocals, of course, are a mixture of today's Pop Rock bands, though sometimes can come off a little whiny and bordering an Emo style. Of course, this is the only thing that works with that higher pitch in the music quality, and it ultimately ties everything together despite the migraine enducing overall quality of the recording itself.
Aside that, The Heart & The Broken Compass is far from a bad album, though you can pick out some of the influences to it, such as 30 Seconds to Mars, the aforementioned Modest Mouse, and even a bit of Breaking Benjamin at times. But, in their defense, the group does manage to take these influences and seems to mold them well into their own sound that is kind of unique and just very well done. When you sit down and get past the Pop Music approach of the group, the songs are often rather solid, catchy, and very well done. Despite the issues with that pitch in the quality, "Copper Bones" sets the album up nicely and really makes the airy atmosphere of the recording known. The track's catchy, energetic sound is pleasing and easy to embrace. Nothing sounds altered in any way from the studio, and the performance itself is solid with music that takes that atmosphere and uses it well to create a song that feels fun, though covering some more traditional Pop Music serious topics. "Nightlauncgh" is the same way, but has enough unique elements to it that the track stands quite far from the other, though still has the same level of energy to it. Of course there's more of the atmospheric guitar leads layered over the regular music that are already higher in pitch, so they come off a little more shrill then they should.
But, while some of the tracks on here are engaging and entertaining, there's just some on here that don't really hold the listener's attention for long. "Northern Lights", for example, isn't anything too spectacular and comes off more like a traditional Pop Song that tries to build up on that atmosphere, but puts too much focus on it while trying to be more a Pop Ballad, and it just doesn't work out too well. "Neptune" also goes in and out of being interesting, showing traces of more contemporary acts like Modest Mouse here and there, a slower sound that just sounds a bit cheesy and generic that builds up in speed and richness to a catchy chorus that seems to capture a passionate rendition of something you might expect from a Pop song of the mid-eighties with a very impressive vocal performance against some catchy music that, as the song closes, really builds into an awe-inspiring conclusion that feels very uplifting in it's positive and really powerful performance. Of course, these aren't the only two to be mentioned, as there are other songs that just feel more like generic modern Pop songs that don't really offer anything to the album, such as "Where We're Going We Don't Need Roads" which just sounds like a rehashed version of "Neptune" with that Modest Mouse vibe and even a touch of what seems like Fall Out Boy but a little less cliche.
Of all the songs on this recording though, "Yellowbelly" is perhaps the most interesting. The song has that same kind of energy and faster performance as "Copper Bones", but it seems to just pull out all the stops as to what the Power Pop style the band brings with it has for you. The song is catchy with some easily accessible music with a heavier touch to it. The vocals are powerful and often really belt out with some well timed screaming against the regular higher pitched singing that works for the album. There are even moments where the band includes some more mainstream-style breakdowns, but when they hit, the song really hits hard with a deeper sound that makes the material sound heavier then what you heard before. Of course if the songs are not energetic, they often are slower and come off more like Pop ballads that really offer nothing but the same thing over and over. "Ride Your Eyes", however, actually still retains that energy from the band, and comes off a little more unique from the others while having more of a Rock feel to it that actually takes the atmosphere that the band creates for this song and makes it a rather moving track that is actually catchy and a little unique to the band without coming off as a carbon copy of every other Pop ballad in existence.
So, does Last Winter really need to be on Lifeforce Records? Not really, but one listen to it and you can see why the label picked up this band. Aside the obvious market appeal, the band is actually pretty good, has that sleek and stylish sound to their material, though in a more airy sort of way, and just in general is pretty good. Granted there's a good number of songs on here that really offer nothing, and the production quality will leave you with a migraine at the end because of that higher pitch to it, but overall it's an enjoyable experience that even the most dedicated metal fan with an open mind can get into. The more energetic and faster paced songs on here are simply fun to listen to and often give a powerful performance for the group for a Power Pop album, and even find the group taking the best of many of today's Pop traits and even Adult Contemporary styles to bring them together into more mainstream sound that can evoke the most interesting aspects to the more recent Progressive Metalcore sounds you'd hear on a Between the Buried and Me album, and those aspects are why this album is actually enjoyable. If you appreciate a solid performance, this album is actually well worth giving a spin, and personally, I'll probably give another couple of listens even though it's not really cup of tea. But, to those close minded to anything outside of Metal, or just any style outside of Pop or Power Pop in general will more then likely take an immediate disliking to it. Either way, you have been warned, as well as informed about this rather odd signing to such a strong Metal-based label.
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