In a bid to shake off its tag of being a pop-punk label (which to be fair Finch have made a good fist of) Drive Thru Records signed up two bands at a similar time last year that are about as pop-punk as Slayer. Acoustic rock duo Steel Train shocked many DTR fans by being, well, so different to anything else on the label, but it was the other band who were the really class signing – The Early November.
‘For All Of This’ is the band’s first release on the label and at 8 tracks is great value for an EP. You will also be glad to hear that musically this is a fantastic purchase too. It does have all the melodies and sheen of most Drive Thru bands, but this is a band that rock hard enough on their own. From the all-out rock of ‘Every Night’s Another Story’, to the gorgeous pop of ‘I Want To Hear You Sad’ to the slow burning murmerings of ‘Sunday Drive’, TEN show plenty of variety and craftsmanship in their songs to warrant repeat listens.
Indeed the full on wall of noise that is ‘Every Night’s Another Story’ is a fantastic opening, and on most albums it would be a standout track. But when you put it up against the searing melodies of the awesome ‘I Want To Hear You Sad’ you know this is a band that is something special. The latter is an amazing song with a chorus to die for – harmonious backing vocals and a guitar line that certainly plays second fiddle to Ace Enders vocals, it’s a track you will want to play over and over again. ‘All We Ever Needed’ is just as good with the guitars building themselves up into a chorus which again burns an imprint into your cranium. ‘Sunday Drive’ tugs away at the heartstrings, all acoustic guitars and desperate vocals as Ace sings “and I wonder If I’m alone in your head” and you’re left tapping your foot and playing an imaginary guitar, losing yourself for a moment in the sheer brilliance of the song. Sod the emo poster-boy image for the Starbucks generation (otherwise known as Dashboard Confessional), you’ll be singing “we will never be the same” mantra like as the song reaches its climax.
Just when you thought it was safe to relax, ‘Take Time And Find’ turns up the volume and brings out a crunching guitar riff that is simple yet startling effective. ‘Ashala Rock’ starts with the hum of feedback and some echoey vocals, until the song gets a TEN makeover and the melodies and harmonies take over, while the slow burn of ‘Come Back’ is as classic a song as you could ever hear, it’s just one of those timeless moments complete with finger clicks that could easily be a re-worked version of a Motown hit single. It’s the most mellow moment on the record, maybe even the most tender, and it’s as catchy as hell. The guitar line whispers faintly in the background, but that’s all it needs to do. For once, less is more. The closing ‘We Write The Wrong’ is perhaps a little too ambitious – it starts off a little too slow and drone-like, but perhaps this was the aim. Then things kick in, just without the urgency in Ace’s voice as there is on some of the other tracks. The song then descends into feedback and freefall guitar work, with drums interspersing the action. It’s all a little experimental for my liking, making things too complex when the band have already proved they have the knack for writing fantastic stuff.
Forget the label this is released on and simply open up your ears to a band that plug in and rock out. Classy stuff from yet another fantastic band on the DTR roster, their full length album is one that I’m looking forward to already. An ‘Ace’ in DTR’s pack, for sure.
www.theearlynovember.com
Paul