ALBUM REVIEW: Warpaint – The Headlines

Swedish alternative rock band THE HEADLINES, consisting of vocalist Kerry Bomb, guitarists Jake Lundofte and Pete II, bassist Sofie Ward and drummer Peter Rasmussen, have been releasing albums since 2007, continually blurring the lines between traditional punk and modern alternative rock and successfully touring all over Europe, Russia, North America and as far afield as Asia. The band are constantly pushing the boundaries between punk and rock music. Therefore, this has meant that they have found themselves touring Russia, North America and Asia to name a few places. With their new thirteen song album, will the band reach new heights of success?

First song Blown to Bits is the best opener. It is short at only one minute and fifty-nine seconds long, but it does not feel rushed. This is due to the smooth production by Chips Kiesbye, an award-winning producer. He does a fantastic job on this song of making sure that the instruments do not overshadow the vocals and vice versa. This therefore gives the song a smooth, but energetic pacing.

Sounds From The Underground follows, and it is even better. The backing vocals from Lundtofe emphasise the energy of the song, which seems to instantly bounce through the speakers. The song is more pop,punk sounding, but this is not a bad thing. It shows that the band can easily make any genre their own. This furthermore helps emphasise the band’s talent.

Unfortunately, Warpaint Authority, Happy Street and Never Stop do not quite hit the right notes. They are not poorly produced songs, the instruments are as sharp as ever, but they lack the energy that the previous songs did. This therefore negativity affects the pacing of the album. The pacing slows down quite suddenly due to the abrupt lack of energy.

Thankfully, Blood Brothers & Sisters – a short interlude – picks up the energy, and is perfectly produced. The instruments do not sound like they half-tuned. The vocals are sharper. It is a vast improvement over the previous three songs. The production is simple. The country-sounding punk song only further emphasises the band’s ability to not be limited to to one style or marginal sub-sector of punk.

The last half of the album is slightly more softer than the first half, however, this is not a negative thing due to the production; it is as strong as ever, and really helps the album overall. The pacing is not affected because the songs sound similar. This is not a bad thing, however, as they are all different enough to be distinguishable. Highlights include the funky, energetic eleventh track, Underdog, and the sombre following song, Funny That Way.

Despite some clunky songs at the album’s mid-way point, Warpaint is a strong album from THE HEADLINES. The production is tight, and the instruments and vocals are powerful. The mixing of genres is effortless. For a band who have been releasing albums since 2007, the energy does not waver, and THE HEADLINES are destined for new heights with the release of their strongest album to date.

Rating: 7/10

Warpaint is out now via Metalville. 

Like THE HEADLINES on Facebook.