Review by Shannon Shumaker
Miles Away’s new album, Tide is a raw burst of energy that is sure to keep listeners coming back for more. With five years between their last full length album, Endless Roads and Tide, it seems that Miles Away have taken the time to really refine a sound for this album.
Easily one of the strongest things about Tide is the raw, gritty quality of the vocal work and the palpable amount of heart and soul beneath it. This is apparent especially within the second song of the album, “Terra Incognita.” On top of seemingly pulling out all of the stops with this track, which is layered with gang vocals, chants, screams, clean parts and pretty harmonies on top of strong guitar work, it is easy to feel the emotion behind the vocal work, especially during the clean part about halfway through the song. The differing styles of vocal work make for a very interesting listen as well, because one second, “Terra Incognita” sounds like gritty hardcore, then it’s pretty and melodic before taking an almost punk turn.
“Let The Words Roll By” is another incredibly strong track, due to the raw, angry energy the propels the song forward. The drum work on “Let The Words Roll By” is also easily some of the strongest on the record, carrying the song and setting the pace as it changes multiple times throughout the track. Again, “Let The Words Roll By” is strong because of the way the song progresses, much like “Terra Incognita.”
The only real weakness on Tide is the fact that there are a few songs that seem to stay on the same level, making them a little difficult to distinguish. That, however, is easily remedied by wild sound and tempo changes that can be found on tracks such as “Entitlement” or the mellow, thirty second song, “Whitewash,” which leads well into the beautiful track, “Balance.” It definitely took me a couple of listens to really grasp what made Tide as strong as it is, but this album is well worth a few listens, if not more. The balance that Miles Away have found with Tide is incredible, from the subtle, varying sounds and vocal stylings on many of these songs to the raw, gritty, yet refined quality to the album’s sound.
Rating: 3.5/5
Listen to “Terra Incognita”