So Crown the Empire (I'm just going to call them Crown from this point) haven't been around too long and already they have amassed quite the following, their "the fallout" video has 10 million views! I only recently stumbled across them, I was immediately intrigued due to the high production quality and polish. A lot of critics seem to dislike Crown due to the fact that they "Sound like they've never played in the same room together." I can understand this, but I personally think that these guys are just so in tune with each other that it just sounds a bit more up tight.
With Crown's 2 previous albums they followed a "apocalyptic" story that (in my opinion) was a bit boring and uninspired but the execution was very outstanding. There were a few stand out tracks, but overall, nothing to write home about. With this new album (Retrograde) They finally have a cohesive album with standout songs!
First of all, I would like to talk about how I like the simplistic aesthetic that doesn't interfere or halt the album; everything flows nicely. Crown has ditched the concept album in favor of a "Theme", they have a more Sci-fi theme this time around but if no one told me I never would have noticed honestly.
Retrograde begins with an atmospheric piece called "SK-68" that introduces the album nicely enough, but you will not be coming back for this song in particular.
The second song feels like where the album starts with "Are You Coming with Me" In this song we are greeted with "The narrator" kind of babbling before we get into a pretty rocking tune that begins the album and sets the tone fantastically.
"ZERO", the third song is essentially the perfect song to pump up the crowd at a show. Honestly, while it is enjoyable, this song feels so out of place on the album.
Fourth on this album is "Aftermath" which is in a competition for my favorite song on this album. I feel it should have come before "ZERO" because it integrates the screaming vocals so well and I just feel like over the coarse of Aftermath, ZERO, and Hologram we are slipping further into madness. Very good though
"Hologram is fifth on Retrograde and as of right now it is my favorite song the band has released, it hits all the right buttons for me. I will always recognize the opening muffled drum beats on this track. Fantastic overall!
"The Fear is Real" is another atmospheric track on the album that sets the mood appropriately and transitions perfectly into the next song.
"Lucky Us" is the heaviest song on the album and I feel that is a weakness for this album, I would have loved another song as heavy and aggressive as this one. Lots of love for this song.
"Weight of the World" is definitely my least favorite song on this record, it feels like the obligatory "The world doesn't understand me" song. its not bad really, just a bit generic.
"Signs of Life" is a song I don't have much to say about. It's catchy, it has some good production and effects, just nothing outstanding.
"Oxygen" is a song that I shouldn't like because it uses the cliched comparison of a relationship to drugs, but it is actually executed really well and the opening guitar just grabs me by the ear every time.
"Kaleidoscope" could be considered the title track and is a decent end to the album but overall I thought a lot more could be done with it.
All things considered This album is pretty great and I hope it marks a new direction for the band, if they continue making music that falls into a theme rather than a story will help them be more creative and down to earth with their music in the future.
Final Score: 7.5/10
|