Review Summary: “And these songs still don't mean half as much as they should do to me”
It takes a lot for a band to admit that their previous work is not as good as they had initially thought, but for frontman James Veck Gilodi, acceptance is key. Of course, that’s not to say Fools and Worthless Liars was a bad album. Quite the contrary, it was one of the prime alternative records of 2011, with its soaring melodies and lyrical honesty. However, the band decided that they would like to recreate the album in reflection of their current musical tastes and that now leaves us with the deluxe edition of Fools and Worthless Liars, containing the original songs as well as their alternate versions. Question is, was it a worthy move of the band?
Opposite to the original album, the deluxe goes off with a blast;
The Past Six Years is one of the most upbeat songs on the album, showcasing folk influences and instrumental diversity. The band shows that they are not afraid to embrace all genres, and this can be seen in the individuality of each and every song;
Anemophobia carries a heavy, somber piano tone while
The World or Nothing finds the band dabbling in the electronic side of things. The fans have waited and the band has delivered. This is more than simply a different melody here and there, or a change in lyrics; it is a different side of the band, one which will hopefully be expanded in the future.
However, this album, as with any album, comes with the good and the bad. The bad is that the band as a whole have taken a step back, only making sparing appearances, and this surprisingly leads to the good; vocalist James now has the stage all to himself. It is of no question that James is one of the best rising vocalists and this album finds him pushing to boundaries he hadn’t previously dared venture into.
Anemophobia basically derives its essence from the heart-wrenched vocals, while
Things Change shows an angry sounding James, lashing out at his “friend” for leaving the band despite his promise to stick together. James hasn’t sounded any better than he has on this album, going on to show the difference maturity and experience can bring about.
But despite all the praising, the alternate versions do fall short on some counts. For one, due to the use of mostly similar lyricism, the lines are delivered a bit awkwardly and songs like
Hunstanton Pier don’t do much to deviate from the original, but for a deluxe edition, these could be easily overlooked.
Now then, was it a worthy move of the band? Definitely. Deaf Havana have shown that they can rock the post hardcore sound, they can rock the rock sound and they can definitely rock the multiple sounds they have going on here.
“I need to set aside my ways and figure out all the things I have to change.”
