Rockfreaks.net

You Me At Six

SUCKAPUNCH

Written by: PP on 27/02/2021 12:53:53

Another year, another stylistic change for British rockers You Me At Six. Their seventh album "SUCKAPUNCH" introduces a dancehall soundscape covered in synthesizers and other electronic elements, drawing heavily from r&b and the most contrived elements of the pop realm. Oh, you were hoping for some pop punk elements to make a return after all these years? Fat chance, You Me At Six on "SUCKAPUNCH" sounds like a mish-mash of every single trendy element from the mainstream thrown into a cocktail blender at once.

That said, what saves the record from absolute disaster is the aggressive, attitude-driven vocals that steer clear of the mainstream pop/r&b influence and instead give the record a much-needed edge. The breaking elements to the voice make the record sound angrier than your average pop release, hence suggesting there may be elements of interest lurking underneath the surface after all. One good example is "MAKEMEFEELALIVE" (because as you know, capitalizing everything and removing spaces makes it cooler), which provides an aggressive electronic backing by basically stealing the synth effects from The Prodigy's "Firestarter", and simultaneously features shouty vocals on top. It's a cool mix, nonetheless.

Then you have a track like "Beautiful Way" that with its electronic beats and other dancehall elements makes it sound like something Pendulum could've written early on in their career. Similarly, songs like "WYDRN" and the title track rely heavily on electronics rather than rock as its foundational basis.

The result is an album that tries its darndest to sound as cool as possible for the trendy NME crowds out there. Instead, the result is a dime-a-dozen mainstream pop record that has momentary infectious vibes but lacks longevity and, indeed, artistic value. This is what selling out sounds like, ladies and gentlemen.

Download: MAKEMEFEELALIVE, Beautiful Way
For the fans of: Don Broco, Pendulum, 30 Seconds To Mars
Listen: Facebook

Release date 15.01.2021
Underdog / AWAL