One of the standard ways to write an album review is to name the other artists that the music reminds you of, thereby giving the reader an idea of the type of sound and style they might expect, even before they hit play. With The Afraid Brigade, this becomes astonishingly hard to do, simply because they don’t sound like any other band I’ve ever heard before. It’s the mark of a group with a strong handle on their craft and a bright future in the industry; they’re able to produce songs with originality and flair, as well as cover the bases of many different genres of music over the span of a six-track EP.
On If I Ever See the Stars Again, the four-piece from Edison, New Jersey successfully merge the soaring, dreamy pop ballad sound with darker, more introspective lyrics, throwing in some heavier guitars and punchy choruses that transition them over into alt-rock. It’s easy to tell they’ve been influenced by a lot of classic pop rock bands, but there’s also a punk and gothic edge in there that makes their sound difficult to describe. Their own bio on the band’s Facebook page describes them as “indie fantasy rock n roll” with their official YouTube channel adding the word “spooky” to the front. This is as good a description as any. To be honest, they’ll probably just get called “emo,” whatever that means these days. Categorizing music is overrated. Good music is good music. And this is great music.
The EP opens up with “Stars Intro.” It sounds like something that wouldn’t be out of place on a Coldplay album with its beautiful haunting vocals and subtle piano. At just over a minute long, it builds up a decent amount tension and hints at a forthcoming explosion into the next track, which one might expect to be a fast-paced, rollicking guitar-driven rocker.
Clearly attempting to avoid intro track/second track clichés, however, “The World Don’t Want You” is more of a mid-tempo, jolly-sounding pop song with a memorable guitar lick over the top and a vocal delivery reminiscent of early Pulp. The use of minor chords and the slightly broken, impassioned performance of singer Joe Ruff gives the whole thing a little more depth and power than your standard pop rock song, but it still has that catchy chorus that everyone can get on board with.
It’s the third song on the EP, “Nothing Good,” that really picks up the pace and delivers a pop-punk punch that would surely be festival worthy. With lyrics referencing blood, vampires and other gothic imagery, the track also definitely gives a horror punk vibe but with the melodic prettiness of a band like My Chemical Romance and the kind, jaunty rhythms that hint at a ska punk influence but without actually going there. It’s a jumping up and down on a sunny day with your friends kind of tune but with feeling cool and edgy while you do it.
“I’m In Hell” is, surprisingly given the title, a happy-sounding, mostly piano-based song, kind of like Belle & Sebastian with a hint of Paul McCartney cheese and a kitsch key change. Look a little deeper though, and the lyrics aren’t exactly happy, juxtaposed against the cheerful music in the way The Smiths so successfully did back in the day.
With “Dead Wrong,” we’re back in more familiar territory, with a two and a half minute perfect pop song that sounds like it could have been snatched out of the early 2000s. With definite sing-a-long potential, toe-tapping rhythms, and the all important breakdown leading into a final soaring rendition of the chorus, it would probably sound pretty sweet cued up next to early Fall Out Boy on some kind of emo night playlist, but it has the charm and originality that makes for a satisfying, easy listen before leading us into the final track of the EP, “Let’s Die Alone Together.” Another cheerful title, but this time there’s no hiding behind upbeat major chords. It’s an out and out sad ballad that does what it says on the tin. Joe Ruff’s vocals really seem to lend themselves to these type of songs, with a rich and heartfelt performance and soaring guitar licks from Tyler Boland that would make Brian May happy.
It’s a fitting and emotional end to the EP which definitely takes you on a journey from start to finish. Pretty sick artwork, too, and in writing this review, I accidentally discovered The Afraid Brigade’s 2015 self-titled album. I’d recommend giving that listen if you enjoyed this EP, and hopefully, they’ll have a brand new full length to please our ears sooner rather than later.
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