Review Summary: Being comprised of beautiful synthesizers, smooth atmospheres, and charming lyrics, ‘The Northern Light’ is an accessible creation from the hands of Covenant.
Northern Light is what you could call Covenant at their pinnacle and most daring, per say. Although they have made few stellar albums, this atmospheric-drenched and awe-inspiring long-player showcases that Covenant are a truly dedicated, hard-working group. With the production being almost frighteningly clean and smooth at times,
Northern Light is well-displayed and certainly grasping from a musical and even lyrical aim. For an album that (I’m guessing) was probably questioned and minimally answered mostly because of Covenant’s shaky past (bad albums, production, lack of creativity within some of their albums),
Northern Light by no means disappoints and is a definite sweet spot for the band, despite some drawbacks.
First things first, though. While the slightly monotone-critique vocalist can be boring at times, other times, he can expertly throw in heaps of emotion to the chosen song to make it spine-tingling and beautiful. In other words, his vocals are a bit of an acquired taste. His voice seemingly has two sides to it; one can be the steady, meditative side and the other can be his eagerly passionate, infectious, emotionally-drained side, both being nice highlights on this album. To be blunt, though, for the most part, they are fairly satisfying but can also be a tad tedious if you’re not used to the style of vocal delivery (like me, for instance).
The record is ultimately a statement in expression and passion, mostly because of the heartwarming melodies and incredibly danceable tracks that are located on here with variation (meaning each song varies in mood and tone). While euphoric, anthemic songs like
Bullet and
Call the Ships to Port are acquainted with a more upbeat affect, others such as
Invisible and Silent and
Winter Comes are cloudy and more markedly depressing in technique. The songs represented here bleed with creativity and almost never encounter a weak spot.
This album captures a winter atmosphere almost perfectly, with fog-like and murky soundscapes/atmospheres that circle around the album as they steadily progress to each track.
Bullet is a perfect example of this, as the track delivers mesmerizing, sharp piano keys found in the chorus and one of the vocalist’s most robust performance yet. Instead of his somewhat common robot voice, his voice is now pronounced with a more genuine element of flavor. With his pitch/tone sounding more euphoric and gripping, this is definitely a noteworthy achievement from the man. Album opener
Call the Ships to Port, however, is a danceclub-based jam, incorporating elements of pulsating EBM while still maintaining that poppy attitude. While the song could tear up some dancefloors and excite the crowd, it’s not emotional or captivating but just simply catchy. The tempo is noticeably turned down though with
Winter Comes, a slower, mellower song invoking a more quieter side from the band.
Invisible and Silent is absolutely sublime and will more than likely give you that ushy-gushy warm feeling inside you, and provoke a blueprint of emotions. The chorus is the best representation of this, with although cheesy lyrics, a good sense of soul and passion: “
I am silent…invisible to you, while I count the days gone by.” Personally I think this relates to strongly liking an individual but at the same time knowing they don’t feel the same for you. This is also the vocalist’s strongest point in the album, as his voice is cloud soft and truly captivating.
There’s a lot to uncover with this album, everything from the dynamic synthesizer progressions, to the cold yet seemingly comforting atmospheres, to the catchy and flavorful songs; this is Covenant at their best and most appraisable. All of the atmospheric drenched synths and piano keys blend together in a nice fashion and never lose their steam. Recommend listening all the way through, this is magnificent and great with every respect.
Song recs:
Call the Ships to Port
Bullet
Invisible and Silent
Winter Comes
