Review Summary: The sound of a band still in the process of finding it's feet.
Rock music always has it's 'in' sound, and at present that beat combination seems to be the one favoured by bands like Brand New and Manchester Orchestra. This comes not through the cynical will to shift units, rather inspiration from landmark records such as The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me and Mean Everything To Nothing, as hordes of young pretenders seek to replicate such achievements with their own emotional masterpieces. Needless to say the majority will fail, but there may well be a few gems among the pack, and with sufficient growth they could well emulate the success of their predecessors. It's for this reason that none of these bands should be dismissed, and while it's not outstanding by any means, All Get Out's debut LP provides plenty of evidence that this group could well progress to far greater heights.
For anyone that's heard Manchester Orchestra's last two records, or has taken a dip into Taking Back Sunday's back catalogue, The Season will sound strangely familiar. The similarity comes not only in the emo-tinged alt-rock compositions which make up the majority of the album, but in frontman Nathan Hussey, whose vocal delivery comes across as a hybrid of that of Andy Hull and Adam Lazzara. Fans of those bands could do far worse than take note, but that shouldn't be the limit to All Get Out's appeal, because they already possess plenty of the tools needed to push on from these rather derivative beginnings.
The sound at which they currently operate may, in fact be the only hindrance, such is the potential at hand. The band's double guitar attack for instance impresses throughout, with a series of well written riffs characterising most of the album's songs alongside Hussey's intense vocal cry. This ability to pen catchy instrumental tracks hints at a talent for songwriting which is all but confirmed by penultimate cut 'Let Me Go,' the only reflective moment at hand and the record's highlight by a long shot. It's no coincidence that it also represents the most ambitious composition here, and just goes to show what they could achieve if they adopted the same outgoing nature more often instead of lounging in their comfort zone, which The Season unfortunately catches them doing a little too often.
Rather than a lack of ambition, though, what this record represents is a band that is still seeking it's identity. In that sense, it's a typical debut LP, with the basic template of their sound having already been laid down, but without really being expanded on and transformed into their own distinctive blueprint. That step should come with their next few releases, and if they can escape the shell that's currently bearing them down there seems no reason why they can't reach out to a far broader audience than just the fans of the bands mentioned. There have been plenty of good bands that have come to flourish after somewhat confused beginnings, and with a bit of work All Get Out could well be capable of joining that list.
