After an impressive start to the year with notable releases including those from Neck Deep, Green Day, Alkaline Trio, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Casey, and Dream State last month, the first #NewMusicFriday of February it’s somewhat low-key. Nevertheless, we’re here to highlight a handful of new releases that are worth checking out.
So Cal-based melodic post-hardcore duo Being As An Ocean return with their first album in five years – ‘Death Can Wait‘. Rising UK hard rockers Florence Black return with ‘Bed of Nails‘. While The Story So Far‘s Kevin Geyer shows his delicate, melancholy side with Same Side‘s ‘Oh No’.
Elsewhere, Norweigan trio Flight Mode delivers ‘Tøyen, ‘13’, the final part of a trilogy of introspective and diaristic EP’s. They have also been packaged all three together as ‘The Three Times’. Slope fly the heavy funk-rock flag on ‘Freak Dream’, and South Coast multi-instrumentalist Tom O’Dell AKA Dwarrowdelf serves up a compelling collection of black/death metal with ‘The Fallen Leaves’.
Being As An Ocean – Death Can Wait
After venturing into intriguing concept territory on 2019’s ‘PROXY: An A.N.I.M.O Story’, Being As An Ocean return with ‘Death Can Wait’. It sees the now longstanding pairing of Joel Quartuccio and Michael McGough (somewhat) return to their roots, displaying a raw brand of post-hardcore. Throughout, Quartuccio’s gruff screams counter McGough’s smooth cleans, bringing a sense of familiarity.
Tracks such as ‘Swallowed By The Earth’ and ‘Purest Love’ bubble underneath with grandeur without taking away from the sharp heaviness on offer. On the latter, Joel’s pseudo-spoken vocal style goes off the rails with barking angst before McGough delivers one of many soaring choruses. It’s a trait that BAAO comfortably lean on with varying results. Undoubtedly, McGough can deliver anthemic lines in abundance.
Mid-album highlights ‘Flesh and Bone’ and ‘Gloom’ exemplify this ability; irresistible melodies complemented with thick, driving instrumentation with Quartuccio’s occasional bark. The aforementioned ‘Gloom’ is probably the closest McGough has got to blurring the lines between BAAO and his solo Heart of Gold project, honing in on impressive melodies.
Nevertheless, there is still a hefty amount of musical weight to ‘Death Can Wait’. Besides the blaring tongue of Quartuccio, there are stellar riffs on closer ‘Fullness Of My Being’, a djent-esque breakdown on ‘Your Love Gave It A Voice So That My Heart Could Speak’, and sharp chugs on ‘Snake’.
As you come to expect from a BAAO album, the duo lyrically leave it all on the line, showing a deep emotional and confessional side. Whether that’s questioning “Have I been drowning out the noise?” on ‘Flesh and Bone’, or Quartuccio being uncertain if he can trust himself (‘Snake’), or simply seeking peace and comfort. If you dig deep, you realise ‘Death Can Wait’ isn’t full of doom and gloom. There are optimistic moments where Quartuccio finds clarity (see ‘Beautiful Agony’).
Even though ‘Death Can Wait’ firmly fits in BAAO‘s catalogue, it doesn’t take as many progressive opportunities as the duo’s past two albums. As a result, you’re left with an album that wins you over with each listen, yet frustrates in variety.
What is out on #NewMusicFriday?
Being As Ocean – Death Can Wait
Florence Black – Bed of Nails
Same Side – Oh No
Banks Arcade – DEATH 2
Flight Mode – The Three Times
Flight Mode – Tøyen, ’13
Enterprise Earth – Death: An Anthology
Slope – Freak Dream
Levels – Pulse
Sweetheart – The Unbearable Tightness Of Being’ / ‘The Process Of Making Us Well’
Dwarrowdelf – The Fallen Leaves
The Promised End – For The Buried And The Broken
Utopia – Shame
Reconciler – Art For Our Sake
Persefone – Lingua Ignota: Part I
Masser – The Forlorn Path
If you think I’ve missed something or have a new album/EP/song to tell us about, tell us about it here.
If you’re looking for the latest tracks focusing on rock, punk, hardcore, metal, emo, and everything in between, then check out our ‘Newish Music’ playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.
