Harbor Royale
Aspirations (2010)
Rating: 8/10
At first glance, Harbor Royale is just your average five-piece post-hardcore outfit, but after one listen through their debut EP, Aspirations, you'll be hooked on these dudes for quite some time, if not indefinitely. The quintet from Utah recently just released their 8-track debut record and embarked on a 7-week tour across the midwest. Since then, they've only been experiencing success.
To begin the record, I would say that Harbor Royale chose probably one of the safest, if not the safest, tracks on the record. "Feels Like Destiny" samples what the band is capable of, but does not put forth any effort to showcase the extremes that they are able to push. It is an enjoyable, more indie song, with choruses, and all.
"One Of Those Nights" starts out with the high voice of frontman, Brock, with a very Circa Survive-esque approach, musically. The song keeps a steady, easy to jam to, beat throughout, but never really blows up or hits any huge sort of climax, which I was expecting. It really doesn't make the cut any less listenable, it just would've added another interesting aspect, and aside from the wretched vocal effects used in the bridge, I dig this track very much; the chorus, especially. I don't think it's too forgettable, but I am also unsure as to whether or not it can compete with a few others that appear on Aspirations.
"We were never pirates!" are the first words that ring out with the help of delay, as the third track, "The Arsonist" is initiated. I feel like this song could've had a lot more elements thrown it, because it never really reaches its full potential. I guess I could call this track another one of the "more safe" songs on the Aspirations. Nevertheless, it is a decent listen.
"Oh, Alaska", my personal favorite song off of Harbor Royale's EP, is the first to show any sort of programming or keyboards in the music, which adds a whole other aspect to the band's take on an indie experimental ambient post-hardcore sound. The lyrics in this song are also very memorable with lines like, "Your words like wolves, they're chewing at my bones. You love to see me so miserable," from the second verse, and the everlasting chorus, "Oh, Alaska, I'm frightened to say, that we might be doing things the old fashioned way." I had to repeat this track several times before I could even continue on to the rest of the record.
Excellent guitar work is the most standout part of "The Distance Is Treacherous". Tapping and delay are used so effeciently in the verse, that I couldn't even focus on anything else for the first few times. This song is nothing too special, though. Yet another "safe" song, with no real branching in the songwriting.
"I hope you know when you walk away, that everything this meant is just a memory" is the first line in the especially catchy chorus of "Lying Through The Cracks Of Your Teeth". This song doesn't really show Harbor Royale trying anything new that would stray from the rest of the ep, but it is another favorite of mine. It does, however, present a fury and urgency that isn't all that present in the rest of this mostly chilled out record.
"Waves Like Skyscrapers" is easily the shortest track on the record, clocking in at 2:13. The verses are pretty average, but they do actually add in some screaming with a Harbor Royale version of a breakdown, which is not actually that heavy, but still does the job. It almost resembles a chant, though. I wasn't honestly feeling this song too much, but it definitely is one of the faster songs on the EP, I think just to change it up by adding a few "breakdowns" in their debut effort.
The beginning of the end, "Asleep In The Deepest Dream", has a very nice, instrumental breakdown, almost reminiscent of They're Only Chasing Safety-era Underoath. It then takes a turn for ambient indie rock, in the verses, as you will have gotten used to by now. It doesn't really change for a while, being the longest song on the ep. They do add in a gang vocal melody to make it more epic, as the climax (and finale) comes to a close, with "We're all just burning out!" and a nice piano melody.
All in all, I enjoyed Harbor Royale's debut very much so, and with the hardships of being an up and coming DIY band, in a scene already drowning in similarities, I can waive the fact that they don't really try to break any mold or exceed any standards, just because they do it so god damn well. I am also interested in hearing Harbor Royale in a studio with much better production and live as well.
- Daron
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