Released:
Rating:
A shiny pop rocket aimed directly at the top.
Label: Fueled By Ramen
Released: May 20th 2016
Rating: ★★★★
It’s fair to say Fueled By Ramen know what they’re doing when it comes to mainstream friendly pop rock. With a roster that includes current chart-busters Twenty One Pilots, banger merchant supreme Panic! At The Disco and the mighty Paramore, if you wanted a label to push a shiny, all-action band into the cross Atlantic limelight, they’d be your first pick.
Which is exactly why Against The Current are exactly where they belong. At one point better known for their YouTube covers – polished takes on big names, all lens flare and perfectly packaged – their debut album ‘In Our Bones’ sees them definitely step out on their own. As you’d expect from a band that know exactly where to place their feet, every move is pitched to perfection.
The first thing to understand about Against The Current is they’re a pop band. Not a small one either. There’s virtually nothing about the three piece that doesn’t scream arenas and beyond. Crissy Costanza’s pitch perfect vocals match any and all comers. When applied to a run of songs laser guided to success, absolutely nothing is left to chance.
They may deliver a message of outsiders facing in, but instead of the usual quirky tribes of counterculture, ‘In Our Bones’ understands the new order. Everyone is different, everyone unique – like Alessia Cara, Against The Current manage to sit on the edges and square in the middle at the same time. In the mould of their label-mates, they’re not afraid of punching out at the big guns. While Ariana Grande may make the big noise, ‘Forget Me Not’ could take even her biggest hits on toe to toe. ‘Runaway’ goes off louder than the 4th of July, while ‘Running With The Wild Things’ virtually roars out of the traps.
Against The Current’s only hurdle is almost a back-handed complement in itself. A band virtually without flaw, with every mark hit, every box ticked – are they too perfect to believe in? If confined to the murky underground, possibly. If let loose to take on all comers, not a chance. It’s in their bones, after all. [sc name=”stopper” ]
