ALBUM REVIEW: Reason Enough – Crows
CROWS are back, ready to grace our ears with an excellent follow-up to 2022’s Beware Believers. As the seasons change, Reason Enough is the perfect album that matches the autumnal vibe that is going to set in over the next few weeks. The post-punk band have delivered a great record that is not to be slept on.
From the off, CROWS aren’t afraid to wear their influences on their sleeve. Reason Enough is what the lovechild of JOY DIVISION and IDLES would sound like, an interesting combination but a fantastic one nonetheless. Opening the record is its title track, which kicks proceedings off with a sultry bass that slowly builds the song up and up with huge, droning, meaty riffs that are just excellent. Just as you think the song is going to fade out, it kicks back in again with a swirling maelstrom of sound that launches the listener into the chaos of Reason Enough. Keeping their foot on the gas, up next is the absolutely barnstorming Bored, a heavy, rough around the edges track that focuses more on the punk aspect of the band’s sound. It’s fun and serves as one of the absolute highlights of the record. Is It Better? offers a cleaner, indie sound that allows frontman James Cox the opportunity to flex his ever impressive Ian Curtis-esque vocals.
Visions Of Me slows everything down ever so slightly and is another highlight. The Curtis/JOY DIVISION influence shines throughout this track. Cox’s baritone, almost spoken word drawl is hypnotic and nearly has you doing the rigid dance moves that Curtis was famous for in his live shows. Even though this song is slower, the heaviness and grungy sound is prevalent throughout, with heartfelt and emotional lyrics like “I need a break from this reality” and “Loving is easy, it’s the letting go that hurts” hitting you right in the feels. Land Of The Rose brings back the sort of IDLES feel to the record with an almost sinister sound that combines perfectly with an absolute earworm of a chorus. It’s as impressive as it is oppressive as CROWS take you by the hand and guide you through the journey that is Reason Enough.
Every Day Of Every Year is a simple rock track that will be sure to elicit one of many mosh pits in a live setting. It’s frenetic, bouncy and chaotic – everything you need from a punk song as the driving guitar solos and riffs pound your eardrums. After a couple of songs that all feel like they’re going at 100mph, everything gets a little slower with Lie To Me. Driven by a great ringing guitar solo, we get a little bit and much-needed piece of respite amongst the chaotic revelry of the album. It goes hand in hand with the following track Living On My Knees, which once again returns to that sinister gigantic sound that is prevalent throughout. Silhouettes serves as the penultimate track, opening up with a great drum rhythm that almost feels like a hip hop track. It guides this song perfectly through both anthemic and more subtle moments. D-Gent brings Reason Enough to a triumphant close and almost works as a bookend to the album in that it mirrors its titular opener. By the time this album is over, you’re eager to start it all over once again.
With Reason Enough, CROWS have delivered one of the best albums to come out in 2024. Not a second goes to waste and the entire band all pull their weight without ever missing a beat. Not one song feels out of place. The decision to record in an old church rather than a recording studio is a stroke of genius; the setting suits the vibe of the album perfectly and really works wonders for Cox’s vocals, elevating them to a whole new level. It will be no surprise to see this album make it into the end of year lists in a couple of months time. Make sure you play it on repeat – and loud!
Rating: 9/10
Reason Enough is set for release on September 27th via Bad Vibrations Records.
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