Cambridgeshire quintet Lonely the Brave have never been ones to shy away from soaring melodies and huge vocal hooks, which they’ve consistently demonstrated time and again in their previous releases ‘Backroads’ and ‘The Day’s War’. Since their inception, this band have set pulses and hearts racing and continues to do so in their newest effort, ‘Things Will Matter’. Possibly one of the most anticipated albums of this year, fans have been frothing at the mouth to get their hands on a copy of this album.
And it’s not difficult to see why.
From the start it’s obvious that, yet again, the band have poured their heart and soul into this album. The chorus during ‘Black Mire’ is frantic and almost desperate. It lends an edge of despair to a huge and overwhelming track. ‘What If You Fall In’ provides a rush of energy, whilst ‘Diamond Days’ is packed with melodic hooks, an intangible sadness, and melancholic lyrics like, “We better take a walk down misery lane / ‘Cause the last thing forward was the last thing said.” This particular track stands out with its heartfelt chorus, which sees some awe-inspiring harmonizing.
Lonely the Brave deliver their graceful talent. ‘Radar’, which sees some rather aggressive riffs, is carefully constructed and provides the album with a slightly more energetic lift. ‘Strange Like I’ stands out due to frontman David Jake’s flawless vocals – they soar above the melodic riffs and are, quite simply, staggering. It’s not difficult to imagine this band playing in packed out arenas, so impressive is their sound and talent. And then there’s ‘Jaws Of Hell’, which is an intense and atmospheric track to end on. Clocking in at nearly eight minutes it’s full of epic hooks and some huge, hot-blooded guitar work, before a beautiful piano-led ending finally closes this track after a pregnant pause.
‘Things Will Matter’ is a beautiful release. Addictive melodies and raw lyrics have come together to create a truly breathless album. A cohesive record, it’s packed with heart-swelling rock anthems that’ll make you want to howl along to both the more doom-and-gloom tracks and the ones that lift your spirits.
JESS TAGLIANI