ALBUM REVIEW: Join The Club – As December Falls
British alternative rockers AS DECEMBER FALLS have come a long way since they started back in 2014. The quartet released their self-titled debut album five years later, before launching their follow-up Happier in 2021. The band definitely proved the industry gatekeepers wrong, achieving over 6.5 million streams on both releases combined. They sold out 90% of shows on their most recent UK headline tour, as well as appearing at a variety of festivals such as 2000 Trees, Slam Dunk Festival and Rock For People – all signs pointing to a force to be reckoned with.
Now they’re back with their third LP Join The Club, which sets out to be their heaviest work to date, giving us more attitude and passion than ever before. The opener is the title track Join The Club and it kicks off with a hard-hitting pop punk type guitar riff complete with Bethany Hunter‘s recognisable vocals. The infectious chorus is set to get in your head from the first listen – it’s just so addictive. This is such a promising start to the release and it builds considerable excitement for what follows. Honey contains one of the strongest melodies of the entire record and an irresistible swagger that is hard to ignore, while Carousel after that is arguably the best out of the bunch. This song is set to become a fan favourite for sure with a chorus which is simply exquisite. You can certainly hear the raw emotion in Hunter‘s voice whilst she is belting the catchy lyrics.
Mayday follows up with the same level of energy and a dynamic pre-chorus which is sure to get your head nodding in no time. As you reach the chorus and you hear Hunter pleading “Mayday / Won’t someone help me out? / And change just / Took enough but I scream and shout,” you find yourself firmly stuck on the AS DECEMBER FALLS train at this point in time and you definitely don’t want to get off. Go Away is the first song that feels a little unmemorable, despite the obvious emotion and enthusiasm poured into it. I Can’t Sleep begins with a heavier guitar riff from guitarist Timmy Francis, which is a pleasant change from the previous. Unfortunately, the melody is the only redeeming feature here, as the song seems like a carbon copy of what we have heard before. Little By Little kicks things off with a melody hook that sounds a lot like HOT MILK‘s popular track Wide Awake. Things pick up slightly from here, but it’s definitely not the most memorable track on the release either.
Home seems to be inspired by TONIGHT ALIVE‘s The Other Side based on the song’s intro. As it progresses, it brings to mind the 00s emo era, which is most certainly not a bad thing. Even though this is one of the slower tracks on the album, it is still just as effective and impactful as the faster, hard-hitting songs. If anything, it shows that AS DECEMBER FALLS are more than capable of touching all bases when it comes to their music. Alive sadly dips back into the characterless category with nothing to really differentiate this track from others apart from a solid guitar riff featured in the bridge. Leave seems to be the redeeming track with the first few seconds really grabbing your attention. Additionally, the chorus is truly sensational, making it one of the standout tracks on this LP. The finale is Tear It Out, and this one really packs a punch to ensure that it finishes the album off in the best way possible.
Even though there are some low points, the absolute belters on Join The Club more than make up for the less significant moments. Hard hitters such as Carousel and Mayday are the surefire highlights of this album and you will unquestionably regret it if you don’t check them out right away. AS DECEMBER FALLS just keep proving themselves over and over again with every release they put out, and even with the occasional dip Join The Club is another outstanding effort.
Rating: 8/10
Join The Club is set for release on July 21st via self-release.
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