An early adopter of the term in the recent pop punk “hiatus” trend, The Early November have made their long awaited return from the dark on Rise Records with their brand new album ‘In Currents. If you’re predisposed to switch off after the first paragraph, we’ll skip to the end for you – it’s everything it should have been and much more.
Everything from the artwork to the production is crisp, and it has a distinct ability to hook you in before you’re even hitting the end of the first song. Subsequently, you find yourself listening through to the end without much need of coercion, and you’ll soon find yourself looping back through.
Stylistically, the band find themselves picking up where they left off, and the “alt emo” sound (for want of a much better description) still shines on the album, albiet with arguably more developed songwriting skills.
Album opener ‘A Stain On The Carpet’ is sublime, and tracks like ‘Digital Age’, ‘Tell Me Why’ and ‘Close To You’ keep the quality up from beginning to end. The fact that ‘In Currents’ was recorded in Ace Enders’ living room has made the songs feel crafted and patient rather than manufactured and suiting a purpose, and the dynamics have scales rather than just big and small. The guitar work is the most impressive that the band has managed to date, and if you’ve ever been a fan of the band, there’s very little to disappoint.
The real quality with ‘In Currents’ lies firmly in its general lack of cynicism: the extra instrumentation feels appropriate and considered, the production carries depth without being over-complicated, and Ace Anders’ vocal glides through the guitars effortlessly from front to back. Because of this, every fluctuation in style has its place, and the band even manage to get away with some usually-ill-advised finger clicks on closer ‘Call Off The Balls’.
‘In Currents’ ends up being a captivating listen throughout, and certainly worthy of anyone’s attention. Right now, it’s in consideration for one of the best of the year, and it won’t be too surprising if The Early November make a few top tens come Christmas.
TOM AYLOTT