Narrows - New Distances
Rating
RIYL
Breather ResistBotch
Young Widows
Release Date
05/12/2009
Label
Deathwish Inc.Tracklist
1. Chambere2. Sea Witch
3. A Restoration Effort
4. I Give You Six Months
5. Newly Restored
6. The Fourragere
7. Gypsy Kids
8. Marquis Lights
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Narrows, featuring the all-star cast of Dave Verellen (Botch), Rob Moran (Unbroken, Some Girls), Ryan Fredereksen (These Arms Are Snakes, Nineironspitfire), Jodie Cox (Tropics), and Sam Stothers (Makeout Boys), was born into this world surrounded by a seemingly insurmountable amount of hype. That hype has grown exponentially since their signing with Deathwish, Inc. and the release of their excellent, though brief, self-titled EP. Now, with the release of their first full-length, New Distances, Narrows is faced with the unenviable pressure of living up to the lofty expectations saddled with the band since day one.
So how does the group deal with these expectations? Well, that probably depends on how you felt about the band in the first place. New Distances builds on the strong points of Narrows’ debut EP while adding a few twists and turns along the way. Powered by Dave Verellen’s monstrous and recognizable yell, the group lumbers its way through nine tracks of angular, bass-driven post-hardcore that, while impressive at times, doesn’t quite reach the levels of success we’ve come to expect from such a talented cast of musicians.
Comparable to the work of Breather Resist, Narrows’ skill lies in their ability to hone the aggressive and chaotic nature of their music into something more digestible. Anchored by Moran’s bass work, the group manages to maintain an air of catchiness in spite of the dissonant guitar lines and Verellen’s tortured screams. The band alternates between bass-led, driving tempos (“Gypsy Kids,” “Chambered”) and slowed, melodic dirges that, when paired with the outstanding vocals of Verellen, form some of the heavier moments you’re likely to hear this year (“Sea Witch,” “Newly Restored,” “I Give You Six Months”).
Yet, despite several high points, the album’s ultimate weakness is the abundance of filler material. Sure, New Distances is 31 minutes long, but when you factor in instrumentals “A Restoration Effort” and “Marquis Lights,” as well as the fact that “The Fourragere” offers little more than six minutes of fluff, you’re left with less than 20 minutes of quality music. That might be enough for another EP, but those doling out the cash for a full-length might be disappointed after burning through the album in such a short period of time.
Though not a bad release, one can’t help but feel that the group could have created something truly noteworthy had they spent more time writing and refining these tracks before heading into the studio. Whether a byproduct of unrealistic expectations or not, New Distances leaves a little bit to be desired. Fans of the self-titled EP will no doubt enjoy this album on some level, as will fans of Breather Resist and the entire Louisville post-hardcore scene; however, at the same time, we’ll continue waiting for the group to reach the levels of greatness we’ve always expected them to attain.
--Matt Murphy
Comments
Richmond, VA
This album was pretty disappointing. The "fluff" definitely kills it for me, and about 4 of the songs sound relatively the same.
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Los Angeles
Dug the album. Slightly skewed opinion because Verellen is one of my favorite vocalists ever, but I really didn't mind the fluff. Hell, I enjoy Old Man Gloom which is like 70% "fluff", it gives those heavy moments just that much more oomph.
Toronto
Album is awesome.
Ann Arbor, MI
i dig this
DETH ROK!!!!
Toronto, Ontario
I'd have to agree.
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Trust me, I love Old Man Gloom and don't mind their softer moments at all...it's just that I (and most other people) don't listen to Narrows to hear pointless interludes that don't contribute anything to the overall aesthetic of the album - we listen to hear Dave screaming his fucking lungs out. I felt like the interludes on New Distances were included only for the sake of adding minutes and material to the album.
Minnesota
I WANT MORE! Seriously, what a rip-off. The actual songs on here are bad-fucking-ass... but the problem is there are only a couple. Lame.
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