ALBUM REVIEW: i saw hell when i was with you – downcast

Pop-punk and emo artists, as a general rule, don’t get as much respect as they deserve for the tightropes they have to walk to be truly seen and respected by the heavy and alternative music community. If they keep it too saccharine and juvenile, they risk losing appeal over time from fans who like an edge, and if they start to fall away and lose their pop sensibility, they risk alienating so many fans that fell in love precisely because of a band’s hook writing talent. It’s a rough path to walk for bands just emerging in the scene, but UK quartet DOWNCAST should have no fear going forward. Their debut record i saw hell when i was with you fits right in the sweet spot for a band like them, with both incredibly catchy melodies and sticky hooks, combined with some crushing moments of gut wrenchingly intimate and personal lyricism. It’s a very good debut that should have even more outlets buzzing than it already does.

i saw hell when i was with you has something for everyone who enjoys every era of pop-punk/emo. Looking for a batch of belt-able breakup anthems in the vein of peak REAL FRIENDS? Tracks like a weight that i can’t stand and mistakes that i have made bring the heat with urgency and bombast. Vocalist Liam Edwards lays it bare with each line through his rough and rich vocal tone and raw delivery. The former track soars with huge, constant harmonies and a guns blazing approach that grabs by the collar, and the latter seethes with a dark intensity and slight dissonance as Edwards tackles the crushing feelings of self worth and failure after heartbreak. It’s not easy to stomach for anyone who’s been there, but the band delivers with a real sense of true honesty and vulnerability that will immediately become apparent and ring strong throughout the album.

For those looking for a golden age, mid 00s pop-punk rager, if u want 2 is far and away one of the catchiest pop-punk/emo tracks of the year so far, and feels like it scratches that ever present nostalgia itch that flares up for so many in the alternative community. It’s pure hook sweetness with a tinge of bitter from the lyrics, but that’s a delicious dish anytime its served up.

The theme with this record is that though it shines well through its majority, it shines brightest when it’s at its most vulnerable. The breakup tracks are certainly crafted with truth, but when Edwards touches on very personal and painful memories dealing with his childhood past and his brother on tracks like someplace safer and sylvan view, the album hits the marrow past the nerve. Both tracks are tragically haunting and will linger long past the close of the record thanks to the band’s increasing intensity and Edwards‘ willingness to let it all go on these tracks and share some difficult truths and bittersweet recollections with listeners. And they will thank him for it.

Closer i want to love again goes even farther into Edwards‘ broken heart, and although some may view the lyrics as cliché and yet another variation on a tired theme, the song never stops feeling honest on a level that elevates it above those criticisms. He plays with catharsis through new vocal melody play and delivery, and the track’s dark but ultimately hopeful ending will remind listeners that light will emerge from moments where darkness feels abject and all consuming.

DOWNCAST have delivered a record that rises above the crowd due to the band finding a way to drive home messages and themes fans have heard for so many years in the scene with an impact and effectiveness beyond their years, and certainly beyond a debut record. They certainly have received the message that in pop-punk and emo, honesty really is the best policy and will most likely carry any band that puts all their eggs into that basket very far with its fanbase and even within the scene at large. The record certainly isn’t flawless – its first few tracks don’t deliver the same instrumental intensity as the rest of it, and opener britannia mills doesn’t succeed very well in its role – but as the hype and press for this band surely increases, the scene should take heart in having a great new record to pour their hearts out to and scream along whilst in the throes of heartbreak. And that’s the real measuring stick in pop-punk and emo anyway.

Rating: 7/10

i saw hell when i was with you is set for release on March 4th via self-release.

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