Review Summary: listen through this entire album and like any Hollywood blockbuster, you’ll be begging for a sequel in no time
This day and age it is hard to find a breath of fresh air amidst the modern rock genre. Although there are many bands within this genre that are popular and enjoyable, rarely you find them trying to create their own niche in the market. This is where newcomers, Our Waking Hour step into the genre and offer their debut album ‘Seconds to Save Her’ to the whole world.
‘Seconds to Save Her’ opens with an intro that sounds like the beginning of any major action film and acts as the calm before the approaching storm. The ‘Intro’ creates a very atmospheric first impression by combining such sound effects as wind chimes, planes taking off, haunting echoes and a harmonious string section. A pulsating drum beat begins to help propel the intro into the album’s title track ‘Seconds to Save Her’ which sounds like the result of the accumulating storm. The fierce opening of this track sets the stage for Blaine Beckman’s soaring and beautiful vocals, which seems to help ease the chaos. The fast paced drumming, melodic guitar mixed with an uplifting emotional chorus, leaves you nothing short of breathless and immediately isolates Our Waking Hour on your own personal ‘bands to watch’ radar.
The next three tracks ‘The Addiction of You’, ‘Too Late for Sorry’ and ‘Castles Fall’ all continue the atmospheric landscape of modern rock that Our Waking Hour are trying to paint. Throughout these songs are traces of piano, mixtures of screaming vocals to eerie whispers, a guitar solo and the use of haunting children’s vocals to open ‘Castles Fall’. ‘Castles Fall’ that is a track that sounds much like the already established hard rock band Red and is the darkest song heard so far on the album. This is a song that is rich with depth and a pounding bass line, which ends with an accomplished and optimistic tone; as if for a moment all is well within the world. ‘The Secret’ is the next noteworthy track on the album and sounds how everyone wished Linkin Park still did. It hits hard, is fast paced and is the catchiest song at this stage of the album. The beautifully sung lyrics to the song end with the very calming sound of waves rolling over the beach, which is another unique little touch. This calm sense of wellbeing is soon washed away by an interlude that rebuilds the albums sense of empowerment and direction for a final epic second half.
The second half of ‘Seconds to Save Her’ keeps the twists flowing and keeps the listeners ears guessing as to what is going to delight them next. ‘Curtain Call’ erupts like a volcano in the night sky and whilst being radio friendly, sounds much darker and harder hitting than normal. ‘Curtain Call’ is one of the highlights of the album and is the catchiest song on the entire record, which was perfect selection for the first single. This songs mix of driving guitar riffs, tight drumming and dramatic vocals are reminiscent of Evans Blue before they lost Kevin Matisyn and became very generic. ‘Goodnight Misery’ soon follows and sounds like another epic track ripped from the background of a movie. The title of the track matches the overall daunting ethereal feel of passing beyond the grave that the music sounds like. The blend of female vocals on this track helps it add yet another new dimension to an album that is already rich with depth. The final act of the album ‘Tragedy & Romance’ uses magnificently crafted lyrics and an impressive display of musicianship to conclude the haunting powerhouse that ‘Seconds to Save Her’ is. The final track on the record is followed by an outro that leads the listener back into the realm of reality whilst maintaining the optimistic feel found earlier on the albums interlude.
In conclusion ‘Seconds to Save Her’ is a force to be reckoned with amongst current modern rock. Our Waking Hour has created a niche where they rely on leaving a longer lasting impression on the listener rather than opting to sell out. They sound like a hybrid mixture of current bands such as Red, The Butterfly Effect, Janus and old Evans Blue, combined with smartly written lyrics and beautifully sung vocals. ‘Seconds to Save Her’ plays like a hard rock movie sound track and is an album listeners can get consumed in. One listen through this entire album and like any Hollywood blockbuster, you’ll be begging for a sequel in no time.
