Review
Vocalist Charlie Rolfe lets out a shuddering breath five minutes into "DID YOU ASK TO BE SET FREE?", an album forged in the sudden grief of losing drummer Jamie Gowers. Instead of folding under tragedy, the remaining quartet has crafted what Kerrang! describes as a "blunt-force purging of emotion" that leans heavily on "vivid rawness" and "emotive vocal performances".
Musically, the UK outfit has stepped outside their post-hardcore comfort zone, opting for what Sputnikmusic calls "a left turn, but an agile one". Synth-driven dynamics, breakbeats, techno-inflected grooves on "Reverie", and pop-adjacent melodies on "Gasoline" strip back the band’s previous density for a more kinetic, streamlined approach. While Punktastic notes that the record is "less about atmosphere, and more about feel," it maintains a hard rock punch, particularly on the brutal "What You Wanted". Resolving into the cathartic, poignant tribute of closer "Setting Sun", the album navigates deep-rooted sorrow by executing a thrilling leap toward cross-genre experimentation.
