Source: Album Artwork
Against the Current have sprung up from nowhere; one minute they’re uploading Justin Bieber covers on YouTube, the next they’re supporting All Time Low and headlining London’s KOKO, all without an album under their belts. That is, of course, until now, which sees the release of the pop-rock trio’s debut full-length, In Our Bones.
The album begins with single ‘Running with the Wild Things’ – an excellent choice. It’s a punchy, spirited, high-energy intro that sets the mood for some good ol’ fashioned pop. If you think you’re above guilty pleasures, allow frontwoman Chrissy Costanza to pull you in with her spunky yet inoffensive attitude that could get her off a murder charge with a light warning in ‘Forget Me Now’ and her powerful vocals in the staggering chorus of ‘Blood Like Gasoline’ and you’ll be hooked.
We expected the debut album from Against the Current to be all about good vibes and, while the great energy, fun melodies and sing-a-long lyrics of tracks such as ‘Runaway’ deliver just that, there are a couple of downers that will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about this band. Some feature flashes of brilliance, including cutesy acoustic number ‘In Our Bones’, calm, chill-inducing ballad ‘Brighter’ and sweet, emotional tune ‘Roses’.
It’s a shame that something as simple as track-listing lets a piece of pop-rock like this down. For some reason, unbeknownst to us, the album’s most upbeat, fun, dance-around-your-bedroom-like-an-idiot songs are all upfront, while halfway through the tempo changes and we’re brought down by a big chunk of drowsy, dreamy fillers, one after another. Just a couple of chop ’n’ changes could have racked up a perfect balance between ballad and banger.
The predictability of the album is disappointing, given that this band have a platform to whip up something much more inventive with this release. But, other than that, it brings to the table exactly what we hoped Against the Current would deliver – entertainment, pure and simple.
