There are many bands that go through tumultuous periods at some stage in their career, although for Brooklyn-based Augustines the difficulties branch much deeper than any petty inter-band squabbles or creative differences.
Having recently returned to their original moniker from the adopted We Are Augustines, the three–piece set up comprising singer and guitarist Billy McCarthy, multi instrumentalist Eric Sanderson and drummer Rob Allen are the present day iteration of what once Pela – a previous band tangled up in a string of re-recordings, record label disagreements and the untimely death of McCarthy’s brother James.
The culmination of this cruel luck was the band’s eventual 2011 debut ‘Rise Ye Sunken Ships‘, encompassing a collection of emotionally charged tracks as a response to music industry disillusionment, and a therapeutic tonic to their collective bad fortune. A wholly independent release, they went on to build a loyally dedicated indie community fanbase through an impressive streak of touring.
This self-titled follow up shifts in direction towards, if not a wholly uplifting antithesis to the first record, certainly a transitional recovery phase, recuperating from a sometimes harshly fluctuating world. A collection of strong tracks reflect their exuberant live shows and boost the credentials of a band’s stock which is surely set to rise yet further.
Opener and single ‘Cruel City’ imposes an immediate statement of intent as an impoverished cry to an ever changing city, filled with past love, to not turn its back on the protagonist, evoking a sympathising connection with the listener in the guttural howls of, ‘Come on now cruel city, with mourning eyes, come on now cruel city, don’t turn away’, before building into a rousing Arcade Fire style choral shouts.
A textbook beer drenched rock anthem from The Gaslight Anthem or Bruce Springsteen canon is the template channelled on ‘Nothing To Lose But Your Head’, desperate shouts of ‘Hey!’ filter through a tale of heightened melodrama in the chimes of mournful loss in the lines, ‘Have you ever lost someone, screamed ‘Holy Mary’ down the hall, or cried against a steering wheel, and hated every mirror you saw?’.
The rhythmic lyrical repetitions personify the disorientating subject matter of ‘Weary Eyes’, comprising a reflective observation on disillusioned self improvement during late hours of intoxication, whereby McCarthy delves into the personal catacombs of his mind in expressing, ‘We laid on the roof, drank wine, and we prove we could fix ourselves’.
The grand sonic influence of producer Peter Katis of Interpol and The National fame is evident throughout the record, most notably in the primal stomping and chugging velocity of ‘Don’t You Look Back’, with its impassioned pleas of not giving up despite ‘days fading away like ghosts in the fog’, while the midway piano ballad of ‘Walkabout’ and its lulling falsetto howls are reminiscent of Chris Martin and will leave many double checking whether iTunes shuffle has played a cruel trick on them, such is the departure in sound thus far.
A moment of authentic introspection enters in the form of ‘This Ain’t Me’, recalling much of the Editors‘ back catalogue in overall vocal style, building into a crescendo laden breakdown and orchestral tinged cacophony of sound underpinned by resonant harmonies.
The clear narrative from desperation through to sobering contemplation segues into a final low key run of tracks, playing out the record with a sense of hopeful optimism and intention to leave a destructive past behind; the haunting organ chimes of ‘Highway 1 Interlude’ lead into the more upbeat piano melodies of a soon to be live favourite in ‘Hold Onto Anything’ as a fitting departing tribute.
‘Augustines‘ is a well paced and genuine rock record harking back to the original components of what made rock music so compelling in the first place, reminding us how this is an increasing rarity in today’s contemporary music industry and its often beleaguered values.
The personal sincerity of the soul searching lyrics are laid bare for fans old and new to cherish. It is a no nonsense body of work free from major label intrusion, an engaging assortment of songs delving into the fundamental emotions of the human psyche.
