Album Review: Tonight Alive - Limitless

Sydney outfit Tonight Alive have always been pigeonholed as the typical pop-punk act. Latest release Limitless has proved they have more to tell.

Limitless takes the band's former modern pop-punk edge and merges it with an electro-pop energy. Vocalist Jenna McDougall is able to open up like never before to soaring vocal lines, and the record's overall direction and cohesion is one that we've never seen before from the five-piece.

The recording and production work has a strong emphasis on power choruses that reach arena proportions and symphonic backing tracks that would be well at home amongst most modern cinema soundtracks. For all the grandeur that has been set amongst the album it should fail, but it doesn't, much to the band's credit.

There is no hiding the stylistic changes here, opening with three synth-heavy and harmony-loaded tracks. The demand for attention is instantaneous amongst To Be Free and Oxygen as they deliver a hefty punch with McDougall's brutally honest lyrics played against the lush instrumentals. It's not completely devoid of the band's well documented high energy numbers however, with Power Of One, How Does It Feel?, Everywhere and the raucously catchy I Defy all bridging the gap to the electro-heavier sounds.

It's clear that Limitless will be capable of pleasing fans old or new, is the band's best release to date and is incredibly well rounded for such a sudden shift in sound.