Album Review: Drown This City - 'Colours We Won’t Know'

This is this industrious Melbourne band’s third EP in five years, and it finds them growing, changing and exploring themselves whilst still maintaining a sound and direction that will satiate their ever-growing horde of fans.

The contrast between Colours We Won’t Know and previous releases becomes apparent on early listens; a) the tunes are perhaps a little less immediate than their previous works. A major reason for this is that the band is exploring their more atmospheric side a little more this time. This is clear from the get-go, opener Gemini being a full minute and a half of ambient guitars, subtle electronic percussion and breathy, ethereal vocals from vocalist Alex Reade, before the heaviness kicks in. It’s an evocative and attention-grabbing way to open proceedings for a band known for their heavy, edgy post-hardcore sound.

Their hardcore fans need not worry however, this band is not ‘selling out’ or going soft. They’re still heavy, there’s just a little more light and shade going on this time around.

And b) Reade has handed almost all of the responsibility for the unclean vocal side of the band across to bassist and backing vocalist Toby Thomas, which is both good and bad. Good, in that it will probably give her voice a little more longevity, bad in that she is possessed of an almighty howl of her own, and we don’t have the pleasure of experiencing it regularly this time around. Hopefully there is more of a balance here on their next release.

This EP is more of a ‘grower’ than their previous releases. But, if you allow it to grow on you, its pleasures are palpable and myriad. The songs are strong (especially closers Borderline Existence and the hard-hitting and emotional New Burn Order), the performances are watertight and Colours We Won’t Know displays a willingness by this band to tastefully develop their sound while remaining true to what they are.

This EP is another big step forward in the development of this hugely promising local band.

Find out more about Drown This City here.