Review Summary: Excellent debut album from electronic duo
This debut album has been long overdue, due in no small part to personal issues centering Mikey Way, but now it’s here and the fans are going crazy. Electric Century sees ex-My Chemical Romance bassist Mikey Way joined by Sleep Station vocalist and New London Fire guitarist David Debiak. "For The Night To Control" is everything I wanted from an Electric Century album – it’s one of those albums you can listen to over and over without getting bored.
We first heard Electric Century back in early 2014 with their single ‘I Lied’, this was actually the first thing I’d heard from Mikey Way and David Debiak and I fell in love with it instantly. This song brought comparisons to bands like Fun. and Twenty One Pilots, but it is undeniably something new and unique, which is something you don't see much these days. The electro-pop sound is infectious. Another thing I love about this song in particular, but really the whole album, is the lyrics – they’re beautifully vague and allow the listener to take their own meaning from each song, which is also something we don't see much of nowadays, most songs have a beginning, middle and end and tell a clear story, that isn't necessarily the case here, they give the listener the opportunity to form their own interpretation of the story which is a nice touch. "I Lied" is about addiction, but really that’s all there is to it, as a listener it’s hard not to connect to this song on some level and fall in love with it.
Our second peak into "For The Night To Control" was "Let You Get Away", which was made available back in 2015 . I remember loving this song from the first line, I loved the feel-good and Summer-y vibes this song has going. Another thing about this song is that David's voice is so soft and down-played but you still feel every word he sings, it just goes to show that you don't need a big booming voice to get your message across to the listeners.
"You Got It All Wrong" to me is Mikey Way telling the world that they were wrong about him living in the background, as here he proves that he does have a life after MCR and has stepped out of Gerard's shadow and given us a stellar electronic record. Davids soft voice singing over upbeat electronics which makes for a very satisfying listen.
"Right There" was the third single released by the duo in 2015. What I took from it was that it's a song of reassurance to a loved one that you will always be right there for them, through thick and thin, without judgement. This is one of the slower songs on the record and it is a nice break from all the upbeat songs here.
Next is "Hey Lacy". Unlike previous track "Right There", "Hey Lacy" is a straight up ballad to Lacy, whoever she may be. This song is one of the stand out tracks that will be likely to get stuck in your head for days on end because it is just so damn catchy, you just can't help but sing along.
You can’t help but move along to songs like "Lately", "Someone Like You" and "For You", this album really has a bit of everything. It’s relatable, it’s feel-good, it’s got songs that slow it down and make you feel, it is the whole package. You can sit there and sing along, or have it on in the background.
"Until The Light Goes Out On Me" is my personal favourite song on this album, it's a slow burner but it's worth it. It starts off very slowly, but builds and builds into a big chorus and final verse that will keep you chanting the lines, long after the song ends.
‘Live When We Die’ is a perfect closing track to a fantastic debut, without even hearing it one time through I was already singing along. I love it a lot and so have many of the fans online. It’s a brilliant end to an album, leaving you wanting a whole lot more. It’s got this big anthemic sound, following a much slower, stripped beginning, this is sure to be a crowd favourite.
One thing is for sure, Electric Century are only going to get better and better as they continue to grow and develop their sound and I’m excited to see what comes next for this dynamic duo. If you haven’t got the album, grab ‘For The Night To Control’ free with Kerrang Magazine issue 1610, a regular release is expected later. But keep your eyes peeled, Electric Century are a band worth watching.
