It has been almost impossible to keep up with the amount of high quality releases that Hopeless Records have put out in the last year or so. Their impressive roster boasts the likes of New Found Glory, Bayside, Cruel Hand and countless others, and amongst all of the bigger names the label has been expanding its reach to put out some newer bands from across the globe. One of the recent bands to picked up has been Trophy Eyes who hail all the way from Newcastle, Australia and from the great country that has spawned numerous metal bands such as Parkway Drive and I Killed The Prom Queen, it is refreshing to see something a little more melodic get a break outside of their country.
Trophy Eyes play an impressive blend of punk rock with a smattering of melodic hardcore and ‘Mend, Move On’ expands on their previous EP ‘Everything Goes Away’ and shows a more cohesive and mature aspect to the song writing. The EP before had more dual vocals and a certain raw quality that purists of punk rock surely prefer, but sonically their debut album has reaped the benefits of a more crisp production that lends to bigger sound and more memorable songs than before. The band comes out swinging with the opener ‘My Name On Paper’ which instantly sets the tone for the album with its bouncy punk riffs nestled perfectly along side John Floreani’s gruff vocals and his deeply personal lyrics detailing a relatives struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. The song writing on the album is what sets Trophy Eyes apart from their contemporaries in many ways as ‘Convalescence’ and ‘Family Name’ make for some goose bump inducing moments, and the passion that Floreani sings his dramatic heart-on-sleeve lyrics is perfectly executed.
‘Mend, Move On’ is unrelenting throughout and full of catchy hooks, particularly on ‘In Return’, and ‘White Curtains’ that arguably are the stand out tracks on the album. One thing that should be addressed is that Trophy Eyes do not really veer from their chosen path throughout the record. On first listen some of the tracks may be lost in the mix, and it would have been nice to see them experiment with some softer moments similar to the beginning of ‘Choke’, although maybe that’s yet to come from the band as they are still in their infancy. That minor criticism aside, what the band do, they do well. ‘Ugly Pattern’ even has a distinctly hardcore sound to it, and brings back memories of their fellow countrymen Break Even, and since they are sadly no longer an active band Trophy Eyes fill the void that Break Even left behind them.
This album has arrived at the right time and is more than just a regular pop punk or melodic hardcore album. The marriage of the two fits perfectly without ever sounding clichéd and helps Trophy Eyes stand out in a world of bands that are quite content to play it safe by regurgitating the same formula time and time again. ‘Mend, Move On’ is a strong debut from these young Australians, and with some high profile tours booked for 2015 already there is no doubt that Trophy Eyes will break out of their homeland and head for world domination.
GLEN BUSHELL