Review Summary: Without a crutch to stand on, Crooks thrive.
At first blush melodic hardcore may appear, probably by virtue of its wordy title, to be an esoteric subgenre; an untapped niche. But with numerous bands –
Heart in Hand,
Counterparts,
More than Life,
Departures etc. – walking an already well trodden path for almost the last decade, Crooks’ task – to stand out in a burgeoning UK hardcore scene – was always going to be a hard one.
Originally this job fell solely on Crook's vocalist; Josh Rogers, whose impressive ability helped a band still following an established formula stand apart from their contemporaries (contemporaries such as Conceptions, One Accord etc. who, quite tellingly, have fallen to the wayside). Rogers’ ability to hold up a young band that, by their own admission, “just picked up some instruments and started playing” was important. His range of croons, that were interwoven with passionate and timely harsh vocals were head-and-shoulders above the typical vocal qualities of an amateur hardcore band, and successfully masked the basic instrumentation of his fellow band members. Vocal quality was integral to Crooks’ early success.
Surprisingly though, on
Are We All the Same Distance Apart?, harsh vocals are notably absent, and its fair to say that on paper this makes sense. It’s been clear for the last year that Crooks have been moving toward a more punk inspired sound and consequently they could no longer solely rely upon vocals that were so well suited to more hardcore stylings. But whilst a move away from yells and screams and cries were never going to be an intrinsically bad thing for Crooks, in practice AWATSDA proves that it doesn’t always bode well for what has perhaps been an over-estimation of Rogers’ ability. Unwisely, on this LP Crooks continuously commit to a number of acoustic songs and standalone vocal segments that would only flatter the most conventionally talented or conventionally quirky singer. The implication here is that Rogers’ vocals fall well short of the task, and whilst this is a severe overstatement, they’re certainly not the crutch Crooks once clearly leant upon when recording
Nevermore. There are too many moments on this LP where vocals are tiresome – the acoustic tracks are completely forgettable, and without harsher tinges, some other vocal segments fall flat. This LP makes it clear that a Crooks desperate to pursue a more accessible sound that still maintains their novelty can no longer solely rely upon vocal talent. The question then, is where on AWATSDA if not vocally, do Crooks again find the ability to craft an album that stands out? The answer is; everywhere.
AWATSDA is instrumentally explosive, and lyrically conscientious. For near the entirety of their early careers Crook’s instrumentalists have often been very sturdy supplicants. Guitars and drums have provided good backing noise, occasionally making a move bold enough to keep themselves relevant. Here we see them all finally take another step toward Crook’s being a more equal and cohesive unit. The most notable improvement comes from Batchelor, who’s drumming improves dramatically. At the worst of times Batchelor is doing a thorough job of keeping time, and at the best of times intricate beats interweave and interconnect to provide a rhythmic structure that elucidates Crook’s most energetic and innovative features. There is seldom a moment on this LP where the drums are caught napping. As is not typically the case with other bands, on numerous songs such as the interlude in ‘Dear Reader’, the drums dictate terms – a wise decision seeing as they do a thoroughly impressive job of pushing the band’s creative potential.
No doubt the guitars aren’t as intricate or technically impressive on AWATSDA as the drums are, but they’re a stark improvement from
Nevermore. Crooks quite clearly made a decision on this LP to tone down their hardcore aesthetic without sacrificing sonic energy and Dutton-Keen, Bendall and Pay’s instrumentation plays the important role of maintaining that energy throughout the album. All instrumentalists add more strings to their bows (or rather, guitars) as rapid tempos and swift chord progressions meet a certain type of instrumental proficiency that proves perfect for crafting a loud, post-hardcore inspired sound. Crook’s guitarists don’t want to slow down on this LP, and they refuse to stagnate even when playing fiddle for slower and less-involved segments on tracks. ‘A Few Peaceful Days’ highlights the ability all guitarists have to make this transition seamlessly. One moment guitars mash together to create a powerful symphony, and the next they provide a cold and poetic foil for Roger’s vocal croons. You won’t hear the metal-typical guitar solo on AWATSDA that you may expect upon hearing the term ‘ instrumental proficiency’, but that’s because in many ways Crook’s guitarists perform the task of a solo by parading time-and-time-again, relentless sonic energy. On
Are We All the Same Distance Apart? Crook’s instrumentalists prove themselves to be far more than an efficient backing band. If anything, full credit goes to them for crafting this LP into the energy-express they all wanted it to be.
In many ways lyricism is the only obvious quality-constant on this album in comparison to
Nevermore, and I think in many ways Crooks themselves acknowledge that. Lyrics that featured in their previous EP often make a re-appearance, not in a lazy manner, but in a self-referential and intimately progressive one. The letter written in the self-titled song ‘Nevermore’ is a continuity here. ‘Schöne Seele’ takes the letter and runs with it, as poignant lyricism paints a sincere picture of personal anguish – a topic that Crooks have become particularly familiar with. The common focus upon ‘lovers’ or non-descript subjects that Crooks are often pre-occupied with in their writings, comes second in AWATSDA to a far more personal, familial and angry (rather than self-pitying) edge. Family figures are often discussed in literal and metaphorical instances. “My father would teach me, if he hadn't cowered away” embodies, in one line, the lyrical intensity and personal intimacy this LP often tangles with. Whilst Crooks have certainly taken a more modern punk inspired route on this album, the lyrics remain quintessentially emotive – and AWATSDA is so much better off for it.
Are We All the Same Distance Apart? marks a turn for Crooks that is more cohesively important than stylistically important. Without the ability to solely rely upon their vocalist – through their own missteps – every other band member takes an important step in their own musical journey. In the process, Crooks craft an album that is a terribly enjoyable mixture of emotive, sincere lyricism typical of their melodic hardcore roots, and energy that has become a staple of their new punk/post-hardcore inspired sound. No doubt some aspects of this LP are hit-and-miss, acoustic tracks are forgettable, and one has to query why Crooks re-released 3 old songs on a 10 track album (at least they had the decency to re-record them). But if
purely clean vocals indeed don’t always bode well for Crooks here, then every other change they’ve made – stylistically and philosophically – does. Crooks have again found a means of innovating their sound and marking their territory – this time they do it superbly well.
