ALBUM REVIEW: We’re Never Getting Out – Deaf Havana
Norfolk based rockers DEAF HAVANA are back with their seventh album; We’re Never Getting Out. An album packed full to the brim with emotion and themes of accepting yourself and who you are as a person and moving on from heart ache. It’s an empowering album that many will have a cathartic relationship with however it is ever so slightly let down with a generic rock sound throughout with the exception of a few excellent tracks.
Opening track Life In Forward motion sets an emotional tone that weaves its way through the album’s threads and establishes the themes of picking up the broken pieces of yourself and rebuilding bit by bit. It’s easily an album highlight very early on as it opts for a huge stadium rock sized sound that feels very mainstream and has a SAM FENDER vibe about it on it’s anthemic nature. Carousel follows on quickly and maintains the SAM FENDER vibe about it which sounds like it could be on any of his albums whilst also gathering inspiration from The Boss himself, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN. It’s one of a few empowering tracks tackling mental health, linking it to being on a carousel which spins you round constantly before you’re able to overcome that feeling. Break slows things down ever so slightly and opts to keep hold of the stadium anthem nature of the album but has a very generic sounding guitar which lessens the track ever so slightly as you could put any band over it and the lyrics would probably fit.
Lawn Tennis again has a similar feeling to Break, a generic sound provides the backdrop of the sound as it sounds like a latter day WEEZER track which by anyone’s standards isn’t great. Car Crash brings the quality back up on the record with a more subtle and low-key sound of a simple guitar sound which is backed up with atmospheric sounds as you feel every bit of emotion of frontman James Veck-Gilodi faces his demons head on and unashamedly bares every bit of emotion through his point of view of being in a relationship and realising it needs to end, you truly feel every word he sings and it’s a beautiful moment. Hurts To Be Lonely arrives at the halfway mark for another emotional gut punch lyric-wise and is hands down one of the most poppier sounding tracks on the record bringing about a ray of light on the record with a wonderful little bounce to boot as well. As soon as the acoustic guitar starts on Frida 1939, you know it’s time for another emotional rollercoaster as Veck-Gilodi once again bares all about finally opening up about his struggles rather than keeping himself inside his own prison by not saying anything, it’s a tender and powerful moment.
Dog begins the journey towards the albums end and after a good run of tracks, is largely forgettable and wouldn’t be missed if it wasn’t on the record, it just doesn’t stick at all compared to the other tracks and makes you wonder would this record have been much stronger as an EP rather than an LP. Cigarettes & Hotel Beds falls into a similar track, sounding like a discarded ED SHEERAN song tries its best to pull at your heart strings but tries a little too hard that it doesn’t pull the punches that it is hoping. We’re Never Getting Out changes up the proceedings a bit with a darker sound to it, it’s foreboding and has a broody great bass line which drives the song and gives it a heavier tone which would have benefitted the album greatly if they had used this style throughout.
The final two tracks on the record offer more of the same with the emotional pull but once again, fall a little flat. Tracing Lines has some good moments but that is more through it’s lyrics about falling into repetitive nature but would have absolutely hit another level had it maybe been an acoustic track, the poppy sound of it undercuts the lyrics ever so slightly. I’ll Be Around is a little more hard hitting than the prior track with its lyrics signalling to those in need that they’re not alone and that “if you need me, I’ll be around”, it’s a poignant moment that offers one last moment of solace to those struggling.
Whilst We’re Never Getting Out is a strong listen in parts, there are frustrating moments which stop the momentum of the truly great songs on the record with some mediocre offerings that constantly undercut the album that makes it sound like a heavy ED SHEERAN record at times. However, when the songs hit, they truly hit and are going to make for some excellent and emotional moments in a live setting. If you’re a longtime DEAF HAVANA fan then you’ll probably love this album, casual listeners however will take a little longer to win over.
Rating: 6/10
We’re Never Getting Out is out now via So Recordings.
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