Source: Album Artwork
For the average casual fan, it would be hard to pinpoint when or where exactly Issues burst on to the scene — but they did, and for that they should be commended. The band formed in 2012 off the back of vocalist Tyler Carter leaving his previous band; Woe, Is Me, and ever since then the quintet have been subject to a steady rise in to stardom. They’ve played stages across the world including Wembley Arena in support of Bring Me The Horizon and the mighty Reading and Leeds festivals over here. Needless to say, their recently released second album Headspace was highly anticipated by fans and press alike.
Every band fears the ‘sophomore slump’ — something that is far from being a myth as some protest. It’s alright putting out a killer debut but if you can’t follow up with equal or greater brilliance then you might as well wave those five star reviews goodbye. Issues have made damn sure that they don’t get stuck in that same rut, however.
Headspace kicks off with ‘The Realest‘, a straight-forward track that forwards the band’s usual dynamic of clean and unclean vocals with heavy guitars to create something too pop to be full on metal, but too heavy to be sliding into the Top 40 anytime soon. With that being said, Carter certainly gives the likes of Justin Timberlake a run for his money with his incredible range. ‘The Realest‘, in all honesty, is not the most powerful way for Issues to have kicked off the album, despite its status as the lead single, but things soon pick up.
‘Home Soon‘ packs more of a punch, and instantly you can imagine the large, sweaty mosh pits it has the ability to incite. Issues are due to head out on their first ever UK headline tour this week, so there’s no doubt that they’ll get the practice in working their crowds up with both this fresh new material and the older fan favourites.
‘Yung & Dumb‘ is a complete game changer though, kicking off with a sole guitar and vocals, confusing listeners for a moment with how gentle it is, before the expected style and kicking in. The chorus follows the opening in terms of lyrics and melody but is built up with heavy guitars that make Issues the unique outfit their fans have come to know and love. It’s definitely one of the stronger tracks on the album, along with the genre defying ‘Rank Rider‘. In theory, Issues’ ‘Frankenstein’ creation of a sound, using practices from a variety of different genres, shouldn’t work — but it does, and it’s fantastic.
Issues have got themselves worked out, that much is certain. They may not make it possible for someone to fit them in one particular ‘box’, but that’s the beauty of their music — they can’t be defined, and on that they strive. Their legions of fans are a pretty solid confirmation of their popularity, regardless of whether they’re ‘metal’ or ‘punk’ or dare it be said, ‘pop’, and with now two incredible albums in their discography they’re sure to only continue on the up.
