Review Summary: Fun and captivating, We Delete; Erase shows a great start from a young band.
We've all heard the undeniable phrase "post-hardcore is the new metalcore," and while this isn't far from the truth, in no way does this apply to Indiana four-piece, Native. In the 26 minute duration of "We Delete; Erase," Native exhibit most aspects that make post-hardcore great.
From the start of the album, Native jump straight into the meat of their music, only taking small breaks from their dancey rhythms to build up to extremely catchy and enjoyable vocal melodies and guitar riffs. Alpacastan opens up the EP, supplying what the listener needs to know about Native. Fading in with cymbals building up and being followed by one very captivating bass line, Native dive right into the type of dancey and head-bobbing verses they are well known for.
Quickly though, Bobby Markos' vocals can either make or break the band based on the listener's initial feeling of Bobby's approach. The positive aspects of them are simple: the vocal melodies fit very well with the instrumentation and most of the time they are perfect for getting a crowd to sing along (one can only imagine the energy Native and their fans can create during their set). Based on the listener's opinion though, if Bobby's vocal approach is more of a negative than a positive, then it's because he's not really singing or even screaming. It's almost as if he's performing gang vocals by himself.
Throughout "We Delete; Erase", one very surprising element presents itself whenever possible, and that's the fact that the bass player is not only audible, but happens to be one of the more interesting aspects of the release. Providing excellent counter-melodies behind the soothing tapping of both guitarists, it truly makes for an interesting listen.
Native are a band that offer hope in a genre filled with cookie-cutter carbon copies, demonstrating that they are fully capable of releasing a great album that remains fun for many listens. The main problem is that it is obvious that they could have done much better, but in no way does this mean that "We Delete; Erase" is a weak release.
