Moncton hard-rock outfit Melonvine just dropped their new album Chasing Hurricanes today. Following the releases of their three-track album Stuck In Place and their single “Summer Says” in 2017, the band’s new EP is five tracks long and packs a lot of volume.
Upon hearing it for the first time, listeners will notice one thing right away: it’s loud. Indeed, one of the more uniform elements of the album is its sheer volume. While such an element tends to counteract our ability to hear the lyrics, it did allow Melonvine to play around with a variety of styles. Thus, the volume was the only uniform aspect of the album.
“Chasing Hurricanes is our first release as a three-piece,” says lead singer Derek Thibeault.
“To us, the tracks kind of give off these ’90s alternative-rock vibes with a modern punch—hard hitting drums, aggressive guitar tones, and overdriven bass. More time was spent on trying to add more colour to the melodies compared to the previous release. […] We are excited to share it around and have it proudly released under She Said Feck Records.”
“Codependent” and “Come Back Around” are the two tracks that utilize this volume the most. The former has a deeper, darker feeling to it, and uses an especially loud multi-layered guitar riff to link up the melodies (most noticeably at the very beginning of the track). The latter plays around with different tempos without losing the characteristically loud guitar, making for a supremely interesting sound.
I found the last three tracks to be the highlights of the album. Though there are a few spots on the track where the lyrics are difficult to grasp, “Flowers” proved to be one of the most accessible and enjoyable local rock tracks I’ve heard in a while. The track uses both the bassline and Thibeault’s voice to create a pleasing tune in the verses, making it one of the highlights of the EP. The chorus, meanwhile, sees Derek’s voice partner with the not-as-loud-but-still-fairly-loud guitar to create a melody so enjoyable I could keep it on repeat for quite a while.
Another highlight, “Panic Attract,” comes in at an extremely (and suitably) fast pace. Its loud whirlwind of beats and notes certainly earned it a place in an album titled Chasing Hurricanes. It is like a lo-fi version of Green Day’s “Bang Bang.”
The track “Summer” brings a more upbeat sound to the album. The opening sounds like it belongs in a level of a 3D Sonic the Hedgehog game, which is extra appealing to me, and is followed by what sounds like louder, faster versions of the bass-heavy verses from “Flowers.”
Though Chasing Hurricanes has its many ups, it also has a couple of downs. The lyrics sometimes have trouble coming into clarity (whether overpowered by the volume or just a bit cryptic), and there are one or two instances where it is questionable how well every sound fits together.
That said, there’s certainly something for everyone in Melonvine’s latest. Whether you like your music loud, dark, fast-paced or suited to your favourite video game, this is one album that I would definitely recommend checking out.
Oh, and did I mention it’s loud?