This is excellent. I know Victory has a bad rep in some circles nowadays because of their tendencies to snap up bands willy-nilly (I’ll be the first to put my hand up and admit some of their recent choices have been a little odd), but The Forecast are superb. ‘Late Night Conversations’ comes across like a far more rocky Straylight Run, simply because of the dual boy/girl vocals which really add a quality to the record. Guitarist Dustin Addis and bassist Shannon Burns share the vocal duties and they trade blows so well – probably so damn well this record wouldn’t be half as good without them.
Tracks like ‘These Lights‘ are openly poppy – probably radio-friendly too, but they’re so well written it’s hard to dislike them. They do sound like Hey Mercedes a little, minus the female voice obviously, which would be a fair description. The two bands are very guitar-hook driven, a trait which The Forecast seem to be able to re-create with consumate ease. ‘Fade In Fade Out’ is another little beauty, the vocal melodies again sticking out, while the album’s title track is another standout.
There will obviously be the usual derogatory comments aimed at the label for picking up bands as far removed from the early Victory artists, but they can go swing as far as I’m concerned. All I’m interested in is good music – I don’t care for labels or reputations. This is a fantastic little CD, something I had no pre-conceptions or expectations of. Many of Victory’s recent releases – good and bad – have sold well, and I see this one being no exception.
Paul