ALBUM REVIEW: Heaven Can Wait – Trash Boat
After the release of Don’t You Feel Amazing?, the third album from TRASH BOAT, shattered the expectations what the band from St Albans could do, the quintet wondered what to do next. Their third album didn’t just see them experiment with different genres; it also saw them grace the covers of the biggest rock music publications as well. Suddenly all eyes were on them. Where would they go next? The answer is Heaven Can Wait, which sees the band push themselves both lyrically and sonically.
From the moment that Watching Heaven… starts, with its eerie synths and vocals, the audience know that they are in for something special. Burn starts off with the heaviest instrumentals of the band’s career, and it is as if they’re about to perform a metalcore track. But Tobi Duncan‘s soft angelic vocals throw that idea out the window. Whilst there are some screamed vocals, they do not take away from the uniqueness of the song.
In fact, every song on this album shows a different side to TRASH BOAT, whether it is the heavy synth-rock of filthy/RIGHTEOUS, which has a fantastic feature from Kenta Koie from CROSSFAITH whose vocals blend seamlessly with Duncan or the electronic-punk of Are You Ready Now?, each song is different from each other.
This has shown how much the band have grown since Don’t You Feel Amazing?, which at times would feel disjointed due to the experimentation. Yet that isn’t the case here; each song adds to the cohesion of Heaven Can Wait instead of taking it away. For example, Better Than Yesterday is one of the most experimental songs as it heavily features synths. But then Break You smashes that song out the park, showcasing the band at their heaviest and most unique.
Production-wise, Heaven Can Wait is fantastic as the different genres stand on their own and also do not merge into each other. Furthermore, the production helps the lyrics. The Drip sees the band at their most political, and it is helped that the production keeps the instruments to the background, allowing the lyrics to take centre stage.
However, that doesn’t mean that the rest of the songs have overwhelming instruments. In fact, the album gives equal weighting to both the instruments and vocals. Delusions Of Grandeur sees TRASH BOAT go back to their older sound, whereas closing song Lazy is an upbeat rock song that is the perfect end to Heaven Can Wait thanks to its laid-back sound that gets more energetic as it continues. It is a brilliant end to the album as it shows that the band haven’t forgotten their roots whilst also pushing the boundaries of their music.
Overall, Heaven Can Wait is a considerable step-up for TRASH BOAT. By building upon the foundations of Don’t You Feel Amazing?, they have created a coherent body of work that showcases both their lyrical and musical maturity with fantastic production and exciting new sounds. The band have put their heart, body, and soul into this album, and whilst it is redefining what TRASH BOAT sound like, they also make sure that their older sound is not forgotten. It is brilliantly produced and makes sure that each song works on its own and as an overall sound. Regardless of if you’ve heard of TRASH BOAT or not, Heaven Can Wait is one of the most exciting albums of the year and one you should listen to.
Rating: 9/10
Heaven Can Wait is out now via Hopeless Records.
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