Review Summary: The Early November reunite to offer a work of art that stands strong even in our Digital Age.
Do any of you remember your college days? Sure, some of you may not have been to college yet, or maybe you just didn’t go at all. That’s perfectly ok. But for those of you who have and did, I’m sure you remember the maturity process. All of the responsibility, being on your own… it has the potential to grow you up quickly. There is always at least one person you remember who came into college extremely immature, and when they left they were a completely different person. They dismissed all of their childish antics, and began to see the world through the eyes of an adult. This is exactly how I view
In Currents. The Early November wrote some very young and exciting pieces of music before and leading up to the release of their triple disc,
The Mother, The Mechanic, and The Path, but after their apparent break-up, it is as if The Early November went to college and came out a mature, new beast.
In Currents, and I quote, “is about the idea of being pulled in a direction that you can’t control.” Every song brings something new to the table as it pulls you in each of its different directions. The extreme amount of passion and authenticity shines through each song as well. Ace Enders’ vocals really nail this point home. Between the harsh and gravelly notes sung in the chorus of “Frayed in Doubt” to the extremely catchy “Tell Me Why”, Enders really finds a way to come through on this album. Lyrically, “Digital Age” easily wins best track. It presents thoughts on how the society we live in is moving forward and it is hard to adapt and keep up, especially regarding technology and the ability to fabricate music. It also sheds light on dying authenticity. It’s delightfully powerful and equally as depressing.
The drumming is more than consistent, always offering something relatively fresh on each track. Between the slow builds found throughout the album (namely “A Stain On The Carpet”) to the quick change of pace found in “Guilt & Swell”, Jeff Kummer never disappoints. The guitar work is very simple but extremely strong. Joseph Marro and Bill Lugg deliver exactly what needs to be heard on such a solid alternative rock album. The guitar riff on the verses of “Close To You” is very reminiscent of Jimmy Eat World. The album then reaches the climax of its journey with the emotional and heartfelt “Call Off The Bells”, featuring vocals from Enders’ wife.
As a whole, I feel this is not only the best TEN record to date, but also the best alternative record I have heard in quite some time. The amount of progression from their triple disc to this album is astounding. The consistency found here is such a blessing considering the high amount of filler/skippable tracks from the triple disc as well. I feel as if, as far as their discography is concerned, this album sounds like a matured version of
The Room’s Too Cold. The Early November have found a way to revitalize their dormant fan base, and I highly recommend anyone who claims to be a fan of this sometimes-stagnant genre to give this a listen.
Recommended Tracks: A Stain On The Carpet, Digital Age, Tell Me Why, Call Off The Bells
