Mind Equals Blown

As I’m sure any Confide follower would have expected, Recover brings listeners more catchy choruses, along with somewhat creative breakdowns.  The very positive, yet simple lyrics also help the band to achieve its fan-fueled live performances, which seem to be both something the band strives for, and something that they often receive.  Also, quite unsurprisingly, Confide sticks to its religious roots.  While this is something many are turned away by, Confide delivers their ideas in a less forced manner on this album, and many of their lyrics could be taken to mean things to which almost anyone can relate.

While they may not be the most technical band, staying far from shredded solos and complex time signatures, Confide has come across a method for writing songs that sound complete.  With front man Ross Kenyon’s powerful, well-ranged screams and somewhat repetitive, but not overwhelming breakdowns being broken up by Joel Piper’s clean choruses, the album is far from lacking.  While some may miss the shouted gang vocals, others will surely appreciate Piper’s style, which was first seen on the Shout the Truth Re-release.  Since said album, the band has discovered a way to incorporate subtle, ambient riffs that help to sooth some of the more raw and chugging ones.  They bring along some depth, and add a nice accompaniment to the clean vocals.  Confide seems to have broken away from the panic chords that were very prevalent in the first album; the sound is professional and matured.

The song “80B” showcases of all of the band’s aspects and talents.  It is almost impossible for the listener to not know the chorus by the end of the song, the song’s meaning is easily understood, and it has aspects that still keep things interesting.  This is mainly taken accomplished by the breakdown after the second chorus.  A powerful bark by Kenyon drops into a heavier part of the breakdown; the china cymbal is destroyed in an unexpected fashion, and Piper throws in some interesting footwork- only to be relieved by a clean, harmonized chorus and ambient riffing.  The song reminds me of some of A Day to Remember’s work, possibly influenced by Tom Denny (former ADTR guitarist), with whom the band spent some time during the writing process.  Some other songs especially worth checking out include “When Heaven is Silent”, “Now or Never”, and “My Choice of Words”.

All in all, the band brought a familiar sound and style with a few nice additions to show improvement, keep fans interested, and maintain the image they set forth beforehand.  For past fans, there’s little not to like, and surely the more catchy choruses will help appeal to an even larger audience.   For those who have not given Confide a chance, I would certainly recommend doing so.  However, if you were not a fan prior to this album’s release, that certainly will not change.

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