Album Review: Allweather – Through The Floor

Through The Floor, the debut album from San Diego melodic punks Allweather, is a curious paradox. Musically, it is a very accomplished piece, full of hooky, short and sharp power-pop songs that are instantly appealing.  From the extended Killers-esque chiming guitar intro to opening track Home, you get the feeling that what’s to come is going to be something very special. Then there is a bit of a disconnect. The vocal doesn’t match. Stylistically, the gruff delivery is at odds with the music: one is anguished, the other is uplifting. Maybe it’s a genre thing; rock and blues singers, death metal screamers and angry anarcho-punks can get away with it so why not a melodic pop-punk combo? I get passion and I get grit but there’s something forced about the vocal that is distracting. Oddly, the version of Home on Allweather‘s Bandcamp from a couple of years ago is a more emotive version vocally and works better. Subjective – maybe, but when the instrumentation is so pristine and full of clarity, this idiosyncratic approach to the vocal seems unduly self-indulgent.

And yet sometimes it works. I do get what the band are aiming for, the raw emotion behind the lyric. In places it works very well. The chant-a-long Die Slow is an excellent song all round. In fact, all of the songs are great. To put this critique to the sword, the album ends with the acoustic guitar and vox of Solitaire, which is a superb showcase for Allweather‘s songcraft. The rawness and emotion of the vocal complements the guitar beautifully and totally works.

In summary, I loved the music but found the almost strained vocal distracting and at odds with it. Repeated listens have not changed my mind nor diminished the effect. I’d love to hear these songs sung, I really would. A good album but flawed – in my opinion – by a stylistic choice.

Through The Floor is released on May 24th on Paper Street Cuts.