In the past few years Run For Cover Records has gone from strength to strength by releasing solid albums time and time again, and the latest offering from Hostage Calm is no exception. The album is the follow up to 2012’s fantastic ‘Please Remain Calm’, which is a tough act to follow, so expectations for the album have been riding considerably high. It will come as no surprise then that Hostage Calm have delivered in fine form with ‘Die On Stage’, and released another brilliant album.
‘Die On Stage’ has seen the band progress to a new level of song writing, while maintaining the formula of catchy hooks and directly honest lyrics which help them stand out in a somewhat crowded room of alt-rock bands doing a very similar thing. There is no pretentious build up or intro on ‘Die On Stage’ as the band launch straight into ‘When You Know’, which harks back to the first Nightmare Of You album with its twinkly keys and driving rhythms, then flowing straight into one of the more rock and roll numbers on the album ‘A Thousand Miles Away From Here’. Something that seems to be evident on ‘Die On Stage’ – particularly across ‘Love Against!’ and ‘Fallen Angel’ – is a heavy influence of what sounds like 90’s britpop and indie, but with a modern spin, and played with the passion of young band proud of their work.
There is nothing metaphorical when it comes to the heart-on-sleeve lyrics of Chris Martin. ‘Your Head/Your Heart’ will have you thinking about past romances, and the darker tinged ‘Raised’ will make you question your self worth and why you are here. The acoustic sing along of ’31/12″ is particularly heart-wrenching, and beautifully honest. Even the inclusion of the vocal melody to New Years Eve standard ‘Auld Lang Syne’ on the song does not detract from the emotion on display. The album then picks back up again for ‘Darling You’ that ramps up the indie-punk swagger, then leading into the anthemic ‘Past Ideas Of The Future’ with its perfectly placed harmonies and Springsteen-esque piano leads that see the album out in style.
Theres not much else you can really say about an album like ‘Die On Stage’, as there is nothing to struggle to get into, and nothing that needs to grow on you. The album grabs your attention from the opening bars, and is instantly accessible, to make it a thoroughly enjoyable listen from start to finish, which is a rare feat in this day and age. There are dozens of bands out there that do a similar style of music to Hostage Calm, and they give it the same amount of effort, but with ‘Die On Stage’ the band have raised the bar once again and created a very natural, honest, and heartfelt album. A sure fire contender for any ‘Album Of The Year’ list.
GLEN BUSHELL