OCTOBER DRIFT - I DON'T BELONG ANYWHERE
October Drift’s newest release I Don’t Belong Anywhere is an emphatic anthem for the outcasts, empowering the beauty of being different in a world that often attempts to shun it. From start to finish, this latest addition evokes all the feelings and comfort of coming home and closing it behind you, ironically as one track name suggests, and is a very welcome escape from the chaos.
For the first time, this Somerset-based group embark on this adventure being self-produced as they tackled writing their second full-length album amidst the Pandemic and all the challenges surrounding it.
Lead vocalist Kiran Roy opens up about some of the creative process that went into it, recalling writing the tracks formed acoustically and being sent as voice notes over the phone until the band could finally reunite in person and flesh them out. Also stating, “There’s definitely that pent up frustration in the album, like when we could finally get together and make a noise, we made as much as possible.”
The new release opens with lead single ‘Airborne Panic Attack’, which encapsulates the mood fittingly for the album and establishes the more brutal tones that the band have progressed since Forever Whatever.They’re still well defined within the broad rock genre, but the shift to a slightly heavier sound helps to emphasise the emotional weight the lyrical content covers and it feels appropriate alongside some somber topics.
We see this especially in ‘Webcam Funerals’; dedicated to the sad passing of a friend and having to go through the ordeal during the global pandemic, the track depicts the devastation that this unfathomable situation has caused directly to individuals and the universal order we know.
‘Bleed’ is the most successful attempt to capture the enormous stage presence this quartet give at live performances, with cavernous guitar riffs and chilling harmonies, its tone resonates to your soul. Concluded with a cataclysmic crescendo of rock erupting as the song tails to an end leaving an aching longing of goosebumps and giddy excitement that is a staple of what to expect when showing up to any one of their awesome shows.
I Don’t Belong Anywhere aims to be a complete body of work as every track adds wider perspective of the feeling the title declares. It feels like a hand-written letter from the band to any listener that’s ever felt that way, and in doing so will embed a special place to those who hear its message. Every song has its own time and place it might land, where even the quieter songs might make the most noise like ‘Old and Distant Memory’ that feels timeless with its soft sounds drawing the album to delicate goodbye.
The magic of October Drift’s latest release lies in the fusion and juxtaposition of all the emotions within it, and it’s a struggle to describe with words just how effectively this has been done. It deserves the audience’s full attention upon their first listen, so find a good spot and tune in. I Don’t Belong Anywhere is a top contender for album of the year, it doesn’t try to be something it’s not or shy away from being honest. It’s an authentic depiction of the band, offering solace to others also trying their best to be their authentic selves.
October Drift are definitely a band to keep an eye on, and if you get a chance to see one of their shows on the upcoming tour it will likely be an unforgettable experience.
David Barter
★★★★★