Review Summary: it takes me back to growing up
Moose Blood fit snugly into the emo-rock scene alongside other bands like Tigers Jaw and Basement, producing a debut album heavy with the pessimism and sadness that is to be expected from the genre but with a pleasing sense of nostalgia thrown into the mix. “I’ll Keep You In Mind From Time To Time” is a break-up album that can be enjoyed by anyone, irrespective of recent or distant heartbreak.
The album opens with "Cherry" - a sobering throwback to an earlier time in the singer’s life which gives off the impression of a man on his knees amongst the ashes of a failed relationship, searching for meaning in the remnants. The song, as well as others on the album ("I Hope You're Miserable", "Swim Down"), do tick the genre-wide cliché of love-lost, however there is a sense of realness and honesty that is present throughout the entire album.
Something I like about Moose Blood is that they are from the UK. It shouldn't make much of a difference where a band hails from so long as the music is good, and true as that may be; the voice of a British man just works very well with this style of music. This is simply because the British can be ***ing miserable and being from Scotland myself I can vouch for that.
It’s not all “doom and gloom” however; the album for the most part is upbeat, especially “I Hope You Miss Me” , “Pups” and "Bukowski". The driven tempo stops the lyrics from being too sad and overbearing however as a full piece the album is quite depressing.
For me, there is a distinctly nostalgic feel to the album as the music reminds me a lot of bands I listened to growing up like Brand New and Taking Back Sunday. The beauty of this genre is that even a brand new album can feel like a blast from the past. Although Moose Blood are somewhat similar to other bands doing the same thing, they are unique enough to merit a listen and they have a lot of potential.
