ALBUM REVIEW: Working Title – Nathan Gray

Following on from the success of his debut record Feral Hymns, BOYSETSFIRE frontman Nathan Gray is set to release his second full length album Working Title. It comes just two years since his first solo record was released, and five years since BOYSETSFIRE’s last self-titled full-length album.

The record kicks off with In My Defence; there are no gentle intros or build-up to this track, it starts from the very opening second with Nathan’s powerful vocals. The riffs follow in hot pursuit as well as the percussion as the track progresses at a fair pace. There is certainly an air of SENSES FAIL in this song for those who have come across the band before, but for those who haven’t it is a hard hitting, catchy and electric track, but behind all that there is a deeper meaning through the lyrics, something that is prominent throughout the album.

The title track features not too long after, and takes a different direction to In My Defence. The intro is gentler, starting off with the echoes of the guitar, and Nathan’s vocal style taking a softer approach. Things do notch up a gear during the chorus, but one thing that really sticks out is the emotion in the way Nathan Gray delivers his vocals, which is something you don’t tend to hear a lot of.

There are a number of stand out hits from the record, all of which have their own personal stories and meanings. One that really sticks out is The Markings – from a musical perspective it is similar in style to the opening track, fast paced with hard riffs and powerful vocals. From the title though and the words in the song it actually highlights a much more significant meaning, showing just how much work went into the writing for each song.

The recipe is very similar for the vast majority of the track listing, which will appeal to those who are fans of the post-hardcore genre, and some other honourable mentions include Never Alone, which certainly has more focus on the guitar and also implements keys to a certain extent to add an extra dimension to the song.

The tempo doesn’t drop off towards the tail end of the record, with The Fall continuing the sound and style the listener will have become accustomed to for most of the record. It does however lead to the final track Down, which is acoustic led and wraps the record up nicely. Nathan does showcase a softer side to his music earlier on in the record, but this one really underlines just what Working Title is about – a way of helping and supporting those in dark places.

Musically, Nathan Gray has done a stellar job with the way everything has been constructed on Working Title. The sound is on point throughout and the different styles of his vocals are displayed incredibly well all the way through the record. The message he creates through Working Title is what really makes this record stand out, and is highly recommended for all fans of rock and heavy metal.

Rating 9/10

Working Title is out now via End Hits Records.

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