Album Review: October Drift - 'Blame The Young'
October Drift unveil the ‘youthfully defiant’ new album ‘Blame The Young’, a body of work brimming with emotion and passion.
The group have plied their trade for some time now, battling their way to their current position of popularity through an ever-changing world of music.
October Drift never seem to get stuck in the mud, and their diverse sound may have been the key to their success with their first two records.
This time around, the Somerset outfit have delivered a body of work which may be their best yet.
The album begins with the titular track, ‘Blame The Young’. The song is the ultimate re-introduction to the world of October Drift. The action begins with lead singer Kiran Roy singing over a solitary guitar riff, before drums come in, courtesy of Chris Holmes. Bass from Alex Bispham is quickly added to the mix as Roy works his way through a passionate verse about the realities of youth-life, where he addresses some of the things that life’s struggles can be attributed to.
The track climaxes as the lead singer calls out the words: “Blame your age”. As he does so, the band show off their powers as they create a colourful sound, full of pure emotion. Lead guitar of Dan Young is responsible for a great deal of this sound, with truly emotive playing transcending the words of Roy.
Coined ‘youthfully defiant’ by the band’s lead singer, ‘Blame The Young’ is an epic titular track. It’s full of defiance; as well as anxiety, hope, disdain and joy. It encompasses everything that it is to be young, fed up, and yet full of emotion and desire.
With that, the band’s third studio album is in motion.
Immediately following the opener is one of the select singles that preceded the record itself. ‘Demons’ was a hit with fans as soon as it was released.
Fast-paced and full of enthusiasm, ‘Demons’ may well be the standout track from the entire record. The chorus of this one seems to be tailor-made for live shows. It’s big and anthemic, with the lead line being: “Lay all your demons down on me.”
The band work together in such a special way on this one, creating huge fuzzy tones which all propel the brilliant voice of Roy to new heights.
The band have explained that the track is: “About getting everything off your chest. It’s about protection. It’s being a sounding board, being a punch bag even. It’s about finding solace in another person, and maybe both feeling incomplete or having things weighing them down but being stronger together.”
This togetherness and unity can be felt not only in the lyrics of the song, but also its musical sound. October Drift operate in such a tight fashion, unleashing their fat, fuzzy, shoegaze tones to create a genuinely beautiful piece of music, which is topped with perfect lyricism and imagery.
The band stick with these themes of togetherness throughout the record. One standout example comes immediately after ‘Demons’ in the directly titled ‘Nothing Makes Me Feel (The Way You Do)’. The lyricism within this track is outwardly affectionate. There’s no beating around the bush, the front man sings direct lines such as “You’re a sugar-coated melatonin pill, you’re the gin in my tonic.”
As Kiran Roy sings the beautiful words, the rest of the band add their signature stamp, with fuzzy, almost psychedelic guitar playing at the root of the track. October Drift are in their element with this one, they’ve mastered the ability to achieve a sound that is uniquely theirs, but they aren’t confined by it. They seem to know no limits, and this track boasts just how versatile they are. From the sublime bassline, to commanding drum beat, the track is perfect.
There are heavier moments on the album, in terms of sound. The group have become known for their huge shoegaze tones that they possess within their extensive arsenal of abilities.
They unleash this in adequate doses in their third studio album. One huge example comes in the track ‘Don’t Care’, which is a sonic eruption in parts. It holds some of the albums biggest, fuzziest and thickest riffs, basslines, drum beats and vocals. It’s one that will have audiences bouncing with the infectious feelings that it invokes.
The record is a beautiful full-circle moving picture of where October Drift are at right now. Its closing number, ‘Not Running Anymore’ captures the emotions of the group perfectly, both lyrically and sonically. The words are cleverly played, yet they’re so direct. Kiran Roy is straight to the point, singing the words: “Between a bullet and a needle, there’s only sea, there’s only shore. And I’m not running anymore.’
With those hugely important words, the album comes to a close.
‘Blame The Young’ is a brilliant record that is full of reflection, emotion and ambition.
October Drift seem to have no limits to their abilities, and the new album is further evidence of this. Fans will be eager to catch the new material at one of the group’s famously brilliant live shows.
Words by Matthew Caslin
