The Pitch: Bristol, UK post-hardcore group Svalbard "harness the aggression of heavy music and the urgency of the current political climate" with their sophomore effort through Translation Loss Records. FFO: Archivist, Anopheli, Touché Amoré
What I Like: Those of you who have gotten to know me or read my occasional politcally-tinged review or article may have seen the above and wondered where I'm going to go with this. Well, primarily I want to stick to the music since that's what drew me to this album in the first place. Disagreement with some of the lyrics aside, the presentation, songwriting, and clear passion all come through in a vibrant fashion on It's Hard To Have Hope. Whereas a lot of post-hardcore and metalcore these days can come off as shallow and insincere, there is nothing disingenous about the music of Svalbard. From the soaring, reverb-soaked post-rock guitars to the Anopheli-reminiscent dual vocal fury of Serena and Liam, every note rings 100% true. Expect nothing less than stunning atmosphere, energetic D-beats, and just a band that accomplishes precisely what it set out to do.
Critiques: Keeping it brief, it's not so much political themes in general that bother me in music, but rather when the message becomes adversarial with people on the other side of the fence. You can think and feel how you want to on an issue, but boiling down your percieved opponents to stereotypes serves no one (and yes, that goes for everyone). Pointing fingers is easy, listening is much harder. I'll leave it at that. If anyone, band or otherwise, DOES want to go more in depth on this, I am always willing to have a civil discussion. Email or PM me.
The Verdict: Whether you're just looking for enthusiastic, youthful post-hardcore or straightup liberal-leaning political anthems, It's Hard To Have Hope is a solid album worth checking out. While I think that some of the premise here is pretty one-dimensional and ill-informed, I can appreciate the talent and youthful angst that spins it into enjoyable music. I've actually been listening to this quite a bit and will be watching for more Svalbard in the future.
Flight's Fav's: Feminazi?!, Unpaid Intern, For The Sake Of The Breed
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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