Hailing from Rennes, France, THE DECLINE are giving a continental take on that melodically inclined punk rock that nods a head to the likes of Propagandhi, Rise Against, NOFX and Bad Religion. Melt this with the odd bit of acoustic folk and country flavour, and you’ve pretty much got the idea for ‘Broken Hymns for Beating Hearts’, their first ever full length release.
You’d be forgiven for not realising their French roots on this album though. The coarse and husky voice that fronts the band has a much more subtle accent than on previous songs, which makes for a wholly more comprehendible listen. This time around it’s way easier to pick out the resentful lyrics that tell tales of relinquishing fraught relationships.
The band have clearly gotten better at their craft. Their songwriting has come on leaps and bounds from their last release, with catchy melodies accompanied by raucous shouts and choruses that are as punchy as possible. The first few tracks set the tone for this, but things get most interesting when ‘Let’s Get Drunk’ arrives thirteen minutes in. Starting with a woeful voice and mellow acoustic guitar, it germinates into a fiery amplified blast which is the first time you hear some more adventurous guitar work.
Along with the bitter statements of ‘If You Ever’ and the uplifting attempts of ‘Our Dark Old Days’, these are all moments where THE DECLINE show their better qualities, and it only goes to show that the latter half of the album holds most of the highlights.
Overall, it’s not an entirely gripping deal throughout, but it shows the five French lads are only getting better. But hey, in short: slap this record on when you’re tipsy and had enough of the world for yet another day, and you’ll definitely be in your element.
JAMES FOX