Try being different, try to lose control.
September 6, 2019, the day when Nella Vita by Grayscale was released, ensured that I’ll be completely mesmerized by it. The album featured an eclectic mix of pop punk and alternative rock while not leaning towards either of them too much. It ended up being one of my favorite releases of 2019 owing to the highly emotional yet evocative vocals, lyrics, and melodies falling just short of 40 minutes. So how does one follow-up to something that close to perfection without it being Nella Vita 2.0? By releasing Umbra of course, while also being a step-up to an already amazing sophomore album. Umbra expands upon and improves the amazing sound established by the previous album to deliver a heart wrenching experience. With a dash of pop punk peppered into the quintet’s signature sound, Grayscale have managed to set the bar even higher for themselves.
Never has any album started out stronger than Umbra. “Without You” starts off with a sweet saxophone that took me by surprise, for they have never incorporated the ever-blissful sax in their music. Just a minor touch of sax can elevate any song to greater heights. Walsh’s vocals, the operatically sung “Without You”, the catchy hooks, and a sax solo for a bridge make this one of the best openers I have ever listened to, while also blowing my expectations out of the water for subsequent songs. “Dirty Bombs”, which was the first single released from Umbra, was the band playing it safe owing to it being highly similar to something off Nella Vita. Nonetheless, the slow humming melody building up to an explosive chorus will never get old, especially when it sounds this great. The song itself speaking about people needing the validation from the internet or social media strikes true. “Why do you still go on the internet? Who gives a fuck what those people think?” “Bad Love” starts off with an electronic, almost chip-tuney sound, but is quick to delve into the pop punk/alt. rock hybrid sound Grayscale excel at. The irony of it being that the upbeat and happy sounding tune features some rather melancholic lyrics filled with longing (which I shall leave to you to dig further into).
The following song, “Motown” features the massive sax AGAIN. The track was highly reminiscent of the newer sounds of Neck Deep & All Time Low, while also pushing their boundaries and carving their own niche into the genre to stand atop their peers. Grayscale cannot go wrong with writing catchy, anthemic, and true-to-the-heart music. The saxophone going off from the bridge onwards adds the cherry on top (can never have enough sax in my ears). “Over Now” sees the band return to their debut album sound with guitars being more in the forefront than the previous songs. This gives it more of a pop punk vibe which in turn keeps the listener engaged throughout the album. You would think the variety of sounds would make it seem all over the place, but it remains cohesive. “Dreamcatcher” ends up being a double-edged blade, as far as lyrics are concerned, introspecting while also asking to be saved by someone else. I’m always astonished when the music manages to complement the mood while being contradictory to the picture the lyrics paint. Slowing the pace of the album down while exposing the more dreamier side of their music, “Live Again” is a harmonious and ethereal track. It signifies that Grayscale can write absolutely any kind of song and create a vibe with any kind of sound. The operatic vocals in the background gets you amped up towards the end while effectively leading up into “Carolina Skies.” This track is yet another dreamy and blithe song that is one of my favorites off the album (so difficult to pick a favorite when every song has something unique and amazing going on through it). “Wish I could live here all the time” the lyrics say. Wish I could listen to Umbra all the time, I say. They nail the dreamy sound with this one, even more than on “Live Again”.
“King of Everything” provides some respite from the intense weight on your heart the previous 2 masterpieces put by starting off slow. Simply alternating between the slower verses and catchy chorus, it still ends up falling right into place on the album, serving as a reminder that this is Grayscale. This is the sound from where they started from. This album has the characteristics of their previous two LPs. The low droning in the background “played our heartstrings perfectly”. “Babylon (Say It To My Face)” is the second single released from Umbra, and I’m flabbergasted that they chose to release possibly the two most Grayscale sounding songs. This is due to the fact that every other song has been a major leap in sound for them (from their previous sound), and every single one of them have been so beautiful. Everything from Veno’s spot on drumming, to the catchiness of Molster & Kyne’s guitars complemented by phenomenal basswork of Ventimiglia, and of course Walsh’s heartwarming voice makes this one of the most memorable and enjoyable listens. The album closer “Cigarette” ends up being a slow, piano driven ballad. If you’ve been reading my reviews (you have been, right?), you’ll know how much I detest ballads. Granted, it’s more of a “me” issue than of the band’s writing, but I can never stand these ballads. Props to it being a short one though, yet far from being an ideal closer.
Conclusively, Umbra is one of the better albums I’ve listened to this year. Grayscale have managed to improve upon their sound, making bold decisions by adding unconventional elements to their music. This would ultimately work in their favor for they skillfully introduced it at just the right time without leaning solely on the unconventionalities to drive their sound. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to look up the thesaurus for every damn positive word ever to shower praises for this masterpiece of an album. Umbra will be out on 27th August via Fearless Records. For all things music, make Boolin Tunes your destination.
9/10