FORECAST - In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen
The Forecast's debut Late Night Conversations was an album that fascinated me from the first to the last note. It has been one of the best Victory releases ever and so I was full of anticipation for their next work.
The album surprisingly starts with a retro rock song sounding like The Who. It's not bad, but unusual. The next two songs (And We All Return To Our Roots, Carry Me Home) feature among the record's highlights. The duality between male and female vocals are the main characteristic on the record. If you like Rainer Maria and Slingshot Dakota, The Forecast cannot disappoint you. Their songs are very dynamic, contain influences from indie rock, punk and emo without neglecting the sweet harmonies that leave a dreamy impression. Even when The Forecast play more melancholic and less fast songs like the title track and One Hundred Percent, the guitars are never neglected and always stay the most dominant instrument. Their songs have such a positive energy listening to them is a pure pleasure, even if the lyrics are often about sadder themes like loss and longing. The cover artwork makes you think that In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen is a country album, and there are even some Americana tracks like the excellent Welcome Home and Some Things Never Change, but the acoustic You're My Needle is too slow and boring. Another weaker track is West Coast that suffers from a too long start before it really kicks in.
But this isn't too bad compared to all the smashers on the album. It's obvious to hear that these four musicians are standing with passion behind their art and I hope that they will get the deserved attention.