Deaf Havana – All These Countless Nights

Deaf Havana’s career to date has been like watching a person come of age. Their debut album Meet Me Halfway At Least represented the angsty, rebellious phase that’s typical of a person still trying to find themselves, before Fools and Worthless Liars saw them step into adulthood with a more mature, sophisticated phase. Previous album Old Souls was Deaf Havana’s gap year; they explored new territory, tried new experiences and did some soul searching to find out who they wanted to be. We’ve all waited patiently for them to return, but is this the same band we knew before with some interesting new stories to tell, or has the gap year changed them forever?  

If you’re wanting the former, then “Ashes, Ashes” and “Trigger” should provide huge relief, as you’re greeted with the old familiar style we used to know. James Veck-Gilodi’s signature vocals soar over stomping alt-rock guitars and swaying rhythms, announcing All These Countless Nights as a welcome return to form. “Sing” provides the volume and attitude that’s been missing for a while and as the band settle back into creating huge anthems and sing-a-long choruses, you can hear the swagger creeping back into their performances.

If you still need convincing that the band you grew to love are still in there, “Pretty Low” and “England” should put those doubts to rest. You don’t get more classic Deaf Havana than hearing Veck-Gilodi wrestling with his inner demons, professing his hatred for himself and wishing he was somewhere, or someone, else.

Old Souls may have been a decisive record, but there was plenty to admire on that journey as well. “Happiness” and “Seattle” puts the experience to good use, bringing a folk flavour to the band’s alt-rock foundation and with big choruses and strong songwriting, both songs fit perfectly in the context of the record.

All These Countless Nights sees Deaf Havana back to their lovable best. It allows us to celebrate the characteristics we’ve come to love on “Sing” and “Trigger”, as well as appreciate the additional perspectives brought over from their exploratory Old Souls record. The merging together of all of their experiences to date makes this record their most varied, yet cohesive offering to date, broadening their personality even further. It’s great to have the band back on top form and we look forward to the next chapter of Deaf Havana’s life, to see where it takes us next.