Twothirtytwo – ‘The Hope We Had’

By Ben Tipple

There’s a fine line between genres these days. The likes of The Gaslight Anthem have been instrumental in recent years in pulling what is in essence Americana into the punk-rock scene, leading to a wealth of bands channelling Bruce Springsteen’s style with a concoction of outside influences.

On first listen, ‘The Hope We Had’ shares more than a little in common with the aforementioned artists – the vocals on the opening two tracks sharing a register with distinctive The National frontman Matt Berninger. The EP barely picks up a notable pace, instead opting for collected melodies – often haunting and rarely challenging.

Opener ‘Bones’ shares the most in common with punk infused Americana. There’s an unmistakable punk singer-songwriter vibe; one that transports the listener to a smoke filled boozer in a state-side dive bar. From here, the atmosphere shifts from track to track. ‘The Reprieve’ has a more grandiose tone in favour of the gritty nature of the opening track – other than perhaps the closing twenty seconds.

‘Epitaph’ returns to the Americana-rock formula, yet the addition of some unexpected backing screams and the abundance of 80s glam influences in the main vocals lead perfectly into the seemingly Brand New inspired title track.

Fundamentally, ‘The Hope We Had’ EP is held together almost entirely by the peculiar combination of genres, yet the execution leaves a definite irregularity. As each track flows into the next, it’s unclear whether Twothirtytwo are certain of their musical direction. Where it works best, the band whittle down to a gritty blues vibe, resting underneath David Bowie-esque vocals. By the time the Wolves’ closer rings out, it’s all left a little directionless.

Ignore the inconsistencies however, and ‘The Hope We Had’ shows promise. The deep vocals provide an unlikely atmosphere, and the experimental post-punk on the title track is likely to turn heads. Just for these little intricacies, and the fleeting glimpses into those dusty dive-bars, Twothirtytwo have done enough to keep the ball rolling. Here’s looking at you kid.

BEN TIPPLE

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