ALBUM REVIEW: Here’s To The Fatigue – Press to MECO

Recorded at the tail end of 2016, Here’s To The Fatigue is something PRESS TO MECO have been sitting on for sometime. Due to label complications and other setbacks, the record is now seeing the light, following 2015’s Good Intent. On the first record, the band stormed out the gates with a set identity and character. Pairing technical virtuosity with melodies that put most barber shop quartets to shame, they came out streets ahead. Now with Machine at the desk and established Marshall Records behind them, have PRESS TO MECO managed to dodge the second album curse?

In one word, yes. The three singles that kick off the album are on a home run. Though they’ve been out for sometime, this is where the bulk of the ideas on the album exists. It’s stacked with interesting instrumental left-turns and hook-filled, captivating choruses. Even verses hold character. Familiar Ground, Here’s To The Fatigue and If All Your Parts Don’t Make A Whole, are already familiar with people. The question is now, how much do these tracks represent the rest of the record? In truth, these are the most charismatic tracks. Standing out most, particularly in If All Your Parts Don’t Make A Whole, is the mastery of dynamics. Pleasurable to listen to, boy scout pre-choruses included.

The first three tacks are definitely the singles to entice listeners, but by Skip The Crawl, this is the area for committed listeners. And still, these tracks are good. The aforementioned Skip To Crawl boasts another brilliant chorus while A Place In It All slows down and takes a gentler approach. There’s a palpable sense of fun on this record too, as there is with the band in general. From the imaginative titled Intro to the onomatopoetic Howl to Itchy Fingers. It shows that despite the growth in the operation behind PRESS TO MECO, the core of what makes the band so appealing is still alive and goofy.

The coupling of A Quick Fix and Itchy Fingers is a strong one to have this close to the end of the album. Just as it begins to settle into a mid-album trail off, these two are an urgent shot in the arm. The dense riffs and uptempo rollock of A Quick Fix is one of the best moments on the album. The great construction and encompassing crescendo in Itchy Fingers puts it in the company of the best material this band have recorded to date. The finale of White Knuckling is strong also. Its syncopated outro is mesmerising and will crush live, despite the good nature running through the album.

Here’s To The Fatigue is no surprise. The bar is high for this band and they’ve met it here. This is the sound of a unique, talented, inspired young band really honing what they are and distilling their very essence to several key ingredients: a mastery of their instruments, an advanced understanding of both technicality and melody and where to balance the two, a sincere and concise carefree message and attitude to life and a fresh, captivating grasp on what pop-meets-alt-rock should be. This is as life-affirming as it is musically proficient, marrying core influences from BILLY TALENT to SIKTH to BIFFY CLYRO to THE BEACH BOYS. Forget Here’s To The Fatigue, Here’s to the future.

Rating: 9/10

Here’s To The Fatigue is out on March 30 via Marshall Records.

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