The Echo and The Always are a Indie Synth Pop band from Wales and their new album …And After That The Dark is a very relaxed, easy listen with some upbeat songs you can dance to mixed in with some moving slower stuff where you can close your eyes and get lost in the music.
The album opens with History Of Trees which has a bit of a drab intro as it goes on a little bit, but once vocalist Laura Hancock’s vocals kick in you’re sucked into a world of magic and the music comes alive. Youcan feel the music and the atmosphere the band are creating which is something a lot of bands miss out when writing. All that being said, the song does go on a bit and that atmosphere they created with such ease disintegrates into another slightly dull track.
Go Easy and Colours both have some lovely very heart warming synth sounds which are easy to listen to. Colours opens with a very Green Day–esque style drum beat, sounding almost identical to Do You Know Your Enemy? but where you expect Green Day’s roaring riffs you get a very relaxed synth using similar notes to the Green Day song in question. It’s a well written song and they take the song in a very different approach to the punk heroes protest song but it bears very, very similar proprieties.
Antiquity opens with a rich, luscious bass tone that is a dominant factor in the heavier song . The chorus is very full and there is a lot going on but it doesn’t sound overcrowded; the production on the album is incredible and everything fits in its place perfectly, sounding clean and crisp. The vocals in this song are moving and you could get lost in her voice. Drummer Edd also has a shining spot in the song, showing off a huge variety of drumming styles while making it flow like a very undisrupted river. He shows off his ability to perform very complex beats in the corus and the build up with some very atmospheric cymbal work and helping to complement the song.
Overall the album is a grand listen. It’s relaxing to listen to, it’s easy to listen to and the production on it is huge. The songs may go on a bit and be a bit drab at times but as a general rule, that’s just indie music as a
whole. Lovely vocals, talented musicians and a good band dynamic create a very lovely listen.
7/10
