Here is another example of Colin being very late to the party. This time it's San Diego punks Western Settings and their February 2015 album Yes It Is, which was released on Dying Scene Records and La Escalera Records.
The first song on Yes It Is is named Revhead. Straight away
I love the positivity that pours out of the track. The lyrics from the second
verse in particular demonstrate this positivity - "We Are Happy, We Are
Tired, We Are Filthy, We Are Hungry, We Are Dreaming, Always Dreaming, We Are
Chasing, We Are Well On Our Way". To me these lyrics sum up what life as a
punk is about, no matter what your life is like we are always dreaming of
better things and finding a way to get them. Get It, Got In goes along at a fun
pace, the melodic nature of the track gives the song a big feel and the use of
multiple vocalists helps to get you singing as well. This song is about living
different lifestyles and choosing the ones that's best for you no matter what
other people might think. I like how they've made the songs about both sides of
the argument without seemingly being overly negative about either. The third
song is called Dying Without Children and for me was when the album really got
going. The song starts out slowly and has a big Hot Water Music vibe before the
tempo of the song is upped. The song tells a story about the troubles that a
man and woman have communicating with their problems. Western Settings have
added a female harmony on the track to really build up the atmosphere of the
song. I really loved the last couple of lines of the track which are about
turning things around by opening up; they are delivered in such a upbeat and
positive way. San Antonio begins with some simple guitar guitars before some
big vocals kick in. The song travels along nicely but it's the chorus that
really captures my attention. It's massive with the lead singer belting out the
line "Take Her 10 Versus My 27".
The fifth song - Table For One - is a fifty-four second
instrumental track. It serves as a bit of an introduction to the next song
Kicking and Screaming. This is a mid tempo sing-a-long punk rock song about
trying to change the world even when you think nobody is noticing you. It's
another upbeat and positive song with a slight feel of newer Flatliners about
it. The chorus is guaranteed to get a big reaction at a live show as the band
scream out "I'm Not Fucking Dead". Bricks is another short
instrumental song that calms things down from Kicking and Screaming and leads
nicely into the next song - the title track, Yes It Is. Yes It Is has more of an
aggressive tone to the vocals at the beginning of the song, again reminding me
of Hot Water Music. I really loved the switch of momentum for the chorus as the
band proudly belts out the words "Thanks For The Advice, But I'll Probably
Do My Own Thing, You Gotta Free Your Heart, Run It On The Inside, Shake, Bound
Outside, Hold Your Head High". More brilliant positivity! Goodbye start
slowly with some tender guitars and some emotional vocals. Of course the tempo
increases and some more of the excellent gruff vocals come into play. They are
rough and ready but also have an incredible amount of emotion in them that
really is quite moving.
Mami's Revenge is a song about realising you're in a place
that you never wanted to be in. This song is a highlight on the album for me
and is something I relate to, being stuck in a job that I hate. Musically the
song comes off like a fists-in–the-air anthem that will get a whole room
singing along. Something we all know I love! I really liked the repeating
chorus of "So Let It Out, Don't Keep It In" done with the gang
vocals. It had a great, therapeutic feeling to it. The Penultimate song is
named Carl's Concern. This song is another that travels along at a nice pace.
It never explodes into life but has a lot of melody to the track. I really love
the last song on Yes It Is - Lines Of Teeth. This is one of the best songs I've
heard in a while, I love everything about it. Starting with a rolling drum beat,
some gentle guitars, the lead vocalists carry the melody of the song to start
with before charging into a big chorus. Lyrically the song is one of the more
negative on the album, but it has a great uplifting quality to it. This is the
sign of some amazing songwriting, bands like Off With Their Heads and The Smith
Street Band are great at doing this and Western Settings are no different.
Lines Of Teeth is about hating everything around you apart from your friends
and loved ones. It's about living in your own little bubble and cutting out the
bad things. Absolutely fantastic song!
I wish I had heard this album a lot sooner. It's really
positive sing-a-long punk rock that makes you feel great. They have a new EP named Old Pain
coming out on April 29th that I'm really looking forward to, you should be too.
Stream and download Yes It Is here: https://dyingscenerecords.bandcamp.com/album/yes-it-is
Like Western Settings here: https://www.facebook.com/westernsettings
Stream and download Yes It Is here: https://dyingscenerecords.bandcamp.com/album/yes-it-is
Like Western Settings here: https://www.facebook.com/westernsettings
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