The Survival Code - 'Hopelessness Of People' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. Same Skin

2. Crawl

3. Take It As It Is

4. Anything Goes These Days

5. Along The Way

6. Self Medicate

7. Not Working

8. This Time Around

9. Too Late

10. Next Step

11. Integrity

12. Goodbye

London based Anglo Irish Power Rock duo The Survival Code have a new album, ‘Hopelessness Of People’, which follows their rather excellent EP ‘Broken Strings’ from last year. It is their sophomore album release after ‘MMXV’ from 2015, from when the band were a trio. The record was produced by Matt Hyde and hits the shelves, virtual and physical, on Friday 31st August via Good Deeds Music. The core band is essentially Dubliner Gary McGuinness on guitar and vox duties with Tom Cook, a Londoner, on drums. The pair have been playing together since 2012 after meeting on Gumtree. They have weathered many problems; going through a string of bass players, conflicts with management and production delays. But this new album suggests that all those problems are well and truly behind them.

This exceptional collection of songs rock out to the max and are played with power, passion, belief and the distinct taste for success. The first two singles are essential, exquisite earworms that won’t leave you and frankly you won’t want them to. Those songs are “Along The Way” and for me the best track on the album, and there are plenty of great ones, “Crawl”. Incidentally the videos for the singles are top notch, especially the almost psychedelic graphics on “Crawl”. The production is crisp and sonically perfect throughout and the tight playing is the perfect foil for Gary McGuinness’ impassioned, soulful and soaring vocals. Given that they are a duo there will be obvious comparisons with the likes of And The Hangnails and Royal Blood. But they also take influence from the Foo Fighters and within their harmonies and melodies you can feel the spirit of Biffy Clyro.

The Survival Code have the ability, tenacity and desire to go so much further and they deserve to be massive. When people first hear this album its excellence will spread very quickly by word of mouth. You dear readers can help this happen by buying it, downloading it, streaming it and buying tickets to see them play live.

So to sum up this record I will use a quote from “Crawl”; “When it works it’s the best, as good as it gets”. Well ‘Hopelessness Of People’ works very well indeed and while it might be as good as it gets, I disagree, because for me The Survival Code can be more than just good, they can, and will, be great!