ALBUM REVIEW - AMERICA GIVE UP

[America Give Up - Howler]

Howlers first full length album, "America give up" starts off with an old school guitar riff that quickly sets the tone for the rest of the song, as well as most of the album. The second song, "back to the grave" continues the low, messy guitar noise straight up to "America" Which then becomes a little clearer for the rest of the album. The fifth song, "Too Much Blood" features a great guitar build up that really comes together in the end of the song, this is when the album really seems to find itself in my opinion. Midway into the album, "told You Once" rejuvenates the listener into the final stretch of the album, with "black lagoon" finishing off quite strong.

One song in particular that i'd like to look into is "Pythagorean Fearem". It starts off with a fast, dark riff which explodes into a full, beach boy rock noise after the lead have vocals kicked in. This song (well, the whole album but this song in particular) really take me back to an earlier time of alt/indie rock, and is really reminiscent of the beach. Around 1:30 the riffs drop for a bit and the sound is very basic and catchy, it's definitely one of my favourites from this 8 song album.

One thing this album seems to be suffering from in the industries eyes is the similarity in sound between it and the strokes. Yes the album does sound similar, but is it enough to detract from enjoying the album? I find the more I listen, the less I see the similarities, or they don't bother me as much at least. Overall, "America Give Up" has a simple, catchy noise and is definitely worth a listen or two.

3.5/5