Album Review: Western Addiction “Frail Bray”
Band: Western Addiction
Album: Frail Bray
Label: Fat Wreck Chords
Score: 9/10
review by Ricky Frankel
Western Addiction’s sophomore album Tremulous was easily one of the best albums to come out in 2017. There is no denying that it is very dark, even by hardcore standards. Tunes like “Righteous Lightning,” “The Rockery” (my favorite song of 2017 in general), and especially the ending track “Your Life Is Precious” really exemplify the melancholy sound of that record.
Three years later, the Bay Area punk rockers are back with their new full-length, Frail Bray and they have taken a different approach this time around. According to the track-by-track article lead vocalist Jason Hall did with BrooklynVegan.com, “the goal of [Frail Bray] was to make a big, bright hardcore-punk, rock and roll record.” And I’m happy to report that the band accomplished said goal — really, they hit a grand slam with this one.
First off, it should be made very clear that just because Western Addiction went for a brighter sound, that does not in any way mean that they went softer. If anything the songs on Frail Bray are just as intense, if not more so than the ones on Cognicide, Tremulous, or any of their EP’s. This album is that big of a step up for the band.
Tracks such as “The Leopard and the Juniper,” “Frail Bray,” and “Lurchers” will give long-time Western Addiction fans the assurance that even though the band took a different approach with this album, they are still the killer hardcore band that punk fans know and love. “The Leopard and the Juniper,” the first song on the album, is filled with Western Addiction’s classic massive guitars that incorporate choppy and swift changes along with some screaming bends. The title track in particular has some of Jason Hall’s finest vocals to date. They are full of fury while at the same time reaching incredibly high notes. Label mate Brenna Red of The Last Gang is there to fill in some backing vocals, too. “Lurchers” is great example of the band incorporating catchy guitar riffs in-between some very heavy palming-muting. And along with of all of that, the thunderous drums and rolling bass are there for some very solid support.
The first few tracks of Frail Bray really go a great job of getting you warmed up, but it is towards the middle and second half where you truly hear the impressive amount of innovation Western Addiction put into this record. On Tremulous, the band incorporated a small violin outro for the track “Red Emeralds” (or the intro for the following song, “Humming Bars Of White Light” — you choose). It seems that the band decided to do that again and double down on it in the two-parter, “Rose’s Hammer I” and “Rose’s Hammer II.” “Rose’s Hammer I” begins with an ominous violin introduction which leads into the band blasting into a song that is unapologetically filled with more of Jason’s killer vocals, heavy guitar riffs and fills, and gigantic drums. Just about twice as long as “Part I,” “Rose’s Hammer II” is where things get even more interesting. Somehow the band managed to write heavier music for it in just about every aspect they could. Even the tempo is easily twice as slow. But the bridge is where the unexpected occurs. Suddenly, after a full stop, the violin returns for a full-on solo while being accompanied to a very sleek and clean guitar chords, and walking bassline. It may sound disjointed when reading about it, but the change works amazingly well.
Other aspects of their sound that Western Addiction switched up on ‘Frail Bray’ are that they decided to make their vocals a little bit more melodic and the lyrics are much more positive. You definitely can hear those sound changes throughout the album, but where they are most blatant is in the song “Wildflowers Of Italy.” Jason Hall’s vocals are still raspy and as angry as ever, but you can hear him following a melody here especially when he sings along with guitar riffs. And in this track as well, the guitars switch to a squeaky clean tone and Hall’s vocals along with the backing vocalists’ get even more melodic. When it comes to the lyrics, the change in the band’s outlook is pretty obvious: “Most good for the most people/Be decent/Less evil.”
Hardcore is a sub-genre that is really difficult to be creative and innovate in. A lot of bands try and fail to stand out. Many of them sound the same and are somewhat interchangeable these days. Western Addiction manage to stand out and more that with every one of their releases, and this album is no acceptation. Frail Bray is truly a phenomenal achievement.
Pre-order Frail Bray now on the Fat Wreck website.
Ricky Frankel is the author of the book I’m Outta Here!: A Collection Of Interviews & Anecdotes From The Punk Scene (2014-2018), which you can find on Storenvy and Amazon.com.
About the Author
Denise Borders 39, Los Angeles. Denise founded PWV in 2008 and remains the primary manager and photographer/videographer. She is not secretly obsessed with Joey Cape.
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