Decade ‘Good Luck’ Album review

GAMR

10 years ago

It wasn’t long ago that I first started listening to Decade. It was likely around this time last year after having met the bands guitarist Joe Marriner whilst out playing shows with my own band. I remember hearing their self-titled EP without any expectations and being exceptionally surprised at both the quality and creativeness of the music within. Whilst primarily pop-punk focused it pulled influences from across the alternative landscape and as such felt like a fresh reimagining of what pop-punk could be. Whilst it took its time to release, Decade’s debut album ‘Good Luck’ further solidifies everything I loved about that EP but brings even more nuisances and quality.

The album opens with the track ‘Good Luck’ which features possibly the most beautiful set of clean chords I’ve heard in a long time before bombarding you with an excellently heavy introduction infused with guitar tones that felt oddly nirvanaesque. A fantastic opening that kicks off one of my favourite tracks of the album ‘Good Luck’ shows total presence, it’s smart, well crafted and laced with great melodies and hooks. This is without doubt the way to open an album, it’s a great taste of what’s to come and shows Decade’s ear for intelligent dynamics that turn a good song into a great one.

The album powers ahead with the three currently released singles ‘Brainfreeze’, ‘Callous’ and ‘British Weather’. All of which are sensational, ‘Brainfreeze’ in particular stands out having been the first taste many older Decade fans will have had of the bands marginally revised sound since their debut EP, it’s a great song with punch and fantastically developed, layered vocals. ‘Callous’ is fierce and gives us a taste of a more powered and driven Decade, musically it’s excellent and exceptionally well placed in the running order as it helps to build momentum.

For me ‘British Weather’ is the stand out track in an already excellent album. The song is sensationally crafted and beautifully designed, it’s layered with hooks and harmonies, brilliant and interesting guitar lines, plenty of clever dynamics and some excellent use of half time. If you only listen to one song from this album, make sure it’s this one.

‘Woke’ is brash but subtle in a way that few other of the albums songs are. It moves between these two with ease and as such has a really unique feel, kicking off full throttle then slowing down and mixing it up make for a great song and a surprising listen. The album continues to steam ahead with more excellent tracks, ‘I Don’t Care’ continues to surprise and show another side to Decade on this album, with more focus placed on the instrumental which breaks away from the consistent vocal prominence whilst retaining the hooks the album is so laden with.

I did find that the album lost a little of it’s momentum after ‘I Don’t Care’ whilst not really a negative for me it lost a little bit of the energy and life. The songs remain consistently strong, though ‘Fools Gold’ feels a little mixed in it’s direction, it’s placement on the album seems to work to bridge the more aggressively paced and vibrant tracks before it into another highlight of great song writing ‘Coffin’ which for me is the best song on the latter half of the album, it’s short running time is noticeable only for the fact that ‘Coffin’s more laid back pace is excellent and a great variance on the album, it feels much more fitting as we come closer to the final tracks.

The remaining tracks on the album continue the consistent quality present throughout, ‘Homebound’ is a well balanced track with a great use of dynamics that help to start to bring the album to a satisfying close before the final track ‘Fake Teeth’ which wraps up the album really well as it strips everything back with some wonderful melodies and vocal hooks that emphasise the closure of the album.

I personally decided to pick up the deluxe edition of ‘Good Luck’ which includes a couple of additional bonus tracks and acoustic versions of ‘Brainfreeze’ and ‘British Weather’. Whilst the two bonus tracks are noticeably older songs and don’t quite hold their own compared to the real meat of the album the two acoustic tracks are nothing short of sublime, ‘British Weather’ in particular is wonderfully arranged and as the final track of the deluxe edition it’s a perfect end to an excellent album.

Decade’s debut album ‘Good Luck’ is a fantastic start for a very promising band, no doubt they’ll continue to go from strength to strength and develop an even uniquer sound. The album is fresh, interesting and intrinsically British in a way that few other bands have managed to capture these days. Whilst there are moments where some of the momentum and emphasis drops the album remains wholly enjoyable throughout. Make sure you go and buy this album now.

Decade will be on tour with Mayday Parade across the UK from January 23rd to February 7th if you can make it to a local show then get down!

Top Tracks: ‘British Weather’, ‘Good Luck’, ‘Woke’

Download: Itunes

Overall: 8.5 / 10

Ben Corbett-Mills / @benleopards