One of the unsung heroes of the genre, The Flatliners return to the plate, giving us the next chapter of their discography. In case you’re unfamiliar with the Canadian Punks, this is the follow up to 2015’s ‘Division of Spoils’ and the band’s sixth studio album.
The first impression of this album is that it’s incredibly watered down. It can be difficult at times to tell if you’re listening to the same band that wrote tracks like ‘The Calming Collection’ and ‘Bleed’ when you hear an extremely unsettling fade out on the penultimate track of the record, ‘Chameleon Skin’. This doesn’t have the same element of surprise and the same level of angst that earlier records, however there is a new level of songwriting here, a maturity that seeps through various parts of the record that makes it more clear. It’s a lot like growing up.
Lyrically the record is comparable to the latest offering from The Menzingers, as it tackles a lot of what it’s like to get older and how to deal with the fact you’re not in your 20s anymore. Highlights include ‘Human Party Trick’ and ‘Nicotine Lips’, where the impressive songwriting meets instrumentation for a little more gusto. ‘Hang My Head’ features an extremely catchy chorus and could well be a staple in the live set from here on out, but aside from this, some solid hooks and good production values, it’s difficult to pick up on any more than that.
Opening track ‘Mammals’ takes so long to get going that interest has been lost before the first lyric can dribble out. Throw in the occasional dodgy Hetfield-esque “Yeah!” and you’ve pretty much covered most of the record. If you’re a big Flatliners fan then I’m sure there’s enough on this record for you to get excited but this isn’t of the ilk as previous records.
At times this record can sound dated, like a band struggling to keep their sound fresh and not too much like an edgy Kings Of Leon. While ‘Inviting Light’ is not a career defining effort, don’t discount The Flatliners in the future; there is potential here, it just has to be fine-tuned.
WILLIAM SCOTT