All Hail Bright Futures

And So I Watch You From Afar

All Hail Bright Futures really stands out from the rest of And So I Watch You From Afar's discography. It feels fantastical; like it's taking you on this grand journey to some unknown land. This could be due to the expansive sonic palate the band decided to experiment with. Every track here features some unique instrument outside of the typical guitar, bass, and drums. Strings, flutes, horns, steel drums, and many more I'm probably failing to remember. The record has so many flavours and it all meshes so well with the band's brand of loud, progressive rock.

This isn't to say the band has gone soft. There are plenty of examples here of bombastic riffs, and overwhelming walls of sound. A few case and points; the track Big Thinks Do Remarkable busts in with this electrifying riff that feels like a high-definition version of a tune from an action/adventure NES game. The final track Young Brave Minds has that wall of sound I was talking about. The guitars, horns, group vocals all clash together to the point where it just becomes one giant overwhelming sound. One of the more fun experiments the band tries is on the track Ka Ba Ta Bo Da Ka. The members record themselves pronouncing the syllables in the title and then the samples are arranged to create the tracks opening sequence. It is one of many moments where the record really gives off that youthful, light-hearted energy.

After this record, the band seemed to go back to a more straight-forward rock sound. Their experimentation mostly revolved around the guitar and the various effects that can be applied to it; that is unless I'm remembering everything wrong. To me, the band hit on something pretty special and while I have enjoyed their other records to varying degrees, they never seemed to tap into the creative wavelength they did on this one. If you're looking for a mostly instrumental rock record that is big, loud, colourful, and larger-than-life, then I highly recommend this one here.