Falling Through April - 'Zodiac' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. The Culprit

2. Desperate Measures

3. Seven Tries

4. Better Off Alone

5. With You In Mind

6. Coast To Coast

7. Fate & Fiction

8. Nothing Changes

9. Heart Sails

10. Better Off Alone (Acoustic)

Falling Through April are a Alternative Rock band from Charlotte, NC - having come together from various underground bands, they are now ready for their biggest release to date “Zodiac”. Which will be released on January 19th 2018.

We start off proceedings with “The Culprit” - a slow start for the album but the beautiful vocals from Mikaela Salazar makes up for it and also being a well structured song. We move on to the leading single - “Desperate Measures” a track which brings in the electronic sounds from the band, something that I feel makes the Falling Through April sound cheap, electronic vocals are out of fashion.

Quickly moving onto “Seven Ties” a track which takes the band to what they are best at - the touching tracks which are from the heart. It has a perfect beat and once again showcases the brilliant voice of Mikaela Salazar. Now time for things to get a little heavy…”Better Off Alone” brings out the alternative side of FTA and its something that gets my head banging, this could be a massive single for the band.

We take a step back from the head banging with “With You In Mind” and “Coast To Coast” - These songs are perfect but we’ve already had two slow songs which now takes the total up to four. This album is missing a huge single track, a fast beat and powerful guitars - it makes the album feel long and hard to listen to from start to finish.

Next we hope for something different with “Fate & Fiction” but no, sorry. I’ve lost the amount of times I’ve heard the lyrics “You meant the best but I gave you the worst”. These lyrics are almost repetitive as every single song is a love song, are we listening to Rock music? All I hear are songs that will be forgotten about within moments of listening to them.

YES! Guitars with slight electronic - which feels like an improvement. The bouncy tones of “Nothing Changes” keeps the album alive, it managers to change the direction of the album but we take a reverse turning with “Heart Sails”. Starting as a piano piece this track bridges the gap between the electronic-alternative and pop sound.

Overall Falling Through April have created an album of slow love songs. A sound which is great next to louder tracks but an album full of slow love songs is sluggish and boring.