Forever Halloween

The Maine are back with their fourth offering to the musical world, Forever Halloween, one which has again seen the group take the independent route.

Though the band has stepped back in terms of producing a more raw sound, they have taken two big steps forward with maturity and quality, with a tracks completely different to anything you would hear on any of their early releases.

Straight up we are shown this new, raw, indie feel in ‘Take What You Can Carry’, which develops into a song fit for a movie soundtrack.

That simple, plug in your guitar and go feeling continues on ‘Love & Drugs’, which is the only track to use a touch of synthesiser, but the sparing use of the technology is an effective one, allowing the track to hold onto that summer soundtrack mood.

Lyrically, the album is an interesting one with both relatable (We have champagne taste/ but not enough money for the real thing) and quite odd lyrics (You put the gun in my hand/So run) that contrast with quite upbeat melodies.

The versatility continues as the record progresses into some softer, striped-back, piano and acoustic filled tracks, such as ‘These Four Words’ and ‘Birthday in Los Angeles’.

The most interesting song on the record has to be ‘These Four Words’. Quite a deep and heart-breaking song, the lyrics interestingly focus on the opposite side of the love story formula. That instead of being in love, or being heartbroken, you are actually the heart breaker, continuing to showcase their maturity.

Overall, a record that has a great mix of tunes that can put a shine on any day, and that is sure to earn the band some new fans.

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