We first covered Australian rockers Tonight Alive way back in 2010 when they were relatively unknown and I’ve followed the bands career with great interest since then.
The Other Side is the bands second full length album, and definitely is a big step forward. They have always been classed as pop punk but this album definitely has and edgier, modern rock sound.
Don’t get me wrong, it still has massive melodies and big choruses, but the songs here have so much more substance than many pop punk songs.
Opener, and first single The Ocean, is a mid paced number with a big, big chorus, at first I thought it was a strange choice for first single but after a couple of listens I totally got it, it really highlights the bands newer, sound.
The sound is powerful and crunchy, Jenna’a vocal’s are excellent, she has an impressive range and her voice really suits and fits in with the music rather than overshadow it.
Lonely Girl is a bouncier track but with much more darker lyrical content, in fact the whole album definitely has a darker tone to it.
The album is full of stand out tracks, The Fire being a favourite right now, a hard hitting song showcasing Jenna’s vocal range, and Complexes, a seriously great track with a huge chorus and some outstanding, meaningful lyrics.
Say Please might be my favourite song at the moment, I love the lyrics and the infectious melodies throughout the song are just killer.
This is such a good album from a band who absolutely sound at the top of their game, the songs, the sound, it’s all spot on and I have no doubts the maturer direction will definitely propel the band into the big leagues, where they absolutely belong.
10/10
