The album starts quite soft, with arrangements that work extremely well in their simplicity: few elements, but you have the certainty that any further addition would might be too much.
A soft start we said, but very soon the fireworks begin, with glitchy and distorted sounds halfway through the second track "On a different day". The energy stays up for the next 3 tracks, the sound gets pleasantly gritty, but without losing its comforting warmth.
The alternance between delicate moments and controlled explosions of high-octanes rock and roll is a constant all through the record, and works perfectly in keeping the attention high.
You can hear a lot of different influences blending organically together.
For example, "Douglas", the sixth track of the album, steers into southern/country territories, with the acoustic instruments and the reverbered guitars painting a cozy and melancholic background for the vocals.
There is the bluesy vibe of "Byzantine and Hemlock", where the brilliant drumming drives the tune through its different moods.
Even the longer tracks, such as "Downey", whith its 8 minutes and twenty seconds of duration, manage to remain interesting and not bore the listener even despite the relatively linearity of the structure.
The album does not reinvent the wheel, but it possesses a very personal and recognisable flavour.
I want to spend a few words on the cover art as well, which captures all the different shades of the album's atmosphere. The warm colours of the sky fit the breathy sound that characterises many of the tracks, and the black background hints at the darker tones of the more aggressive sections. Even the shape of the hand in a thumbs up gesture seems to reflect the themes of the song, which appear bitter and sometimes angry but with a touch of irony.
If you want a rock album that balances raw power and tasteful songwriting, you are in the right place.