Following up a strong debut like 2013’s The Days War was never going to be an easy feat for Lonely The Brave, but with latest effort Things Will Matter not only have they managed to keep up the rich and powerful formula that created the aforementioned success, but they’ve evolved it. Showing their teeth on ‘Black Mire’, the first track that gave us a look into the new material, they’ve provided a unanimously heavier sound that only progresses throughout the album.
What you have with any Lonely The Brave record or track is the perfect representation of the souls that bear the music. Lyricist and singer David Jakes has a way of creating lyrical content that simply rises out of the beautifully orchestrated chaos and becomes the vocal embodiment of its instrumented counterpart. Jakes’ personal progress is also evident throughout. Sounding even more confident and powerful, his voice marries perfectly with his bandmates’ compositions, with no need for forced attempts at blending, it’s almost as if it was meant to be. Being able to reign in his power and then simply unleashing everything he has, his voice is the icing on this wonderfully audible cake.
‘Diamond Days’ is an ode to those times that have since passed but are nonetheless still feverishly at the front of your mind. It’s one of the slowest tracks on the record, bar the opener, but this doesn’t take away from its initial impression. It creates a nice stopgap between the might of its surrounding tracks, just to give them even more strength. A Lonely The Brave track is supposed to be an accompaniment to a thought or feeling; these are representations of sadness, happiness, loneliness and just about everything in between.
Standout track ‘Strange Like I’ is so, for one specific reason – it modifies Lonely The Brave’s standard M.O. and gives it an almost punk feel, with a viciously melodic chorus that leaves you needing more. ‘Dust & Bones’ and ‘Radar’ are another two of the strongest cuts on the record, being paired together means that the onslaught sees no calm and reinforces the idea that the band are only just getting started on this journey. ‘Jaws of Hell’, the album closer, is the most rapturous the band have sounded.
There is a flow to the album that suits the evolving sound and doesn’t just sit in an attempt to become a facsimile of ‘The Days War’. Unlike its predecessor which followed a fairly straight and narrow path, ‘Things Will Matter’ doesn’t hold back. It’s unrelenting, with the tracks gradually getting more powerful, before changing to an emotionally bare and exposed approach. The dynamic feel throughout ensures your attention is held, and that and you’re focusing on the depths that this band can go to. It’s an open invitation to read into their inner beings and to let them be the soundtrack to your life.
‘Things Will Matter’ is released on 20th May 2016.
