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Unwritten Law

The Hum

Review by Gary Hill

I had not heard this band before. Apparently they are considered punk rock. I don't really see that label fitting. Certainly they have some punk tendencies, but they really have a lot more than that going on. A lot of times they make me think of Muse. There also reggae, metal, alternative rock and more leanings at play on this album. However you label it, this is a strong release.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2023  Volume 5 More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2023.

 

Track by Track Review
Luna Pt. 1 Waxing Moon
Someone is winding a music box, and then they let it play. Weird horror movie like ambience comes in to join. That is the concept on this short intro piece.
Discordia
This drives in with some intense alternative rock sounds. It leans toward both metal and shoegaze. We go through a number of twists and changes along the road here. This is hard rocking, classy and strong. I'm reminded in some ways of Muse on this.
Beggars
Drums get us going here. More straight-ahead riff rocking is on the menu here. It's a lot of fun. It's a little punky, too.
Ghosted
More metallic as it gets going, this is another killer hard rocker. There is some reggae in some of the guitar on this. The cut is another that has some definite punk angles. Overall, it's an accessible alternative rocker that really kicks.
Magnetic
There is some emo along with riff-driven alternative rock and more here. This is another that makes me think of Muse to some degree.
Lighthead
Coming in aggressive and almost metal, this has some more of that Muse thing at play. It's a powerhouse rocker that's among the highlights here.
Luna Pt. 2 Full Moon
This is a short (a little over two-minutes) track that is mellower and balladic. It's a little moody.
Dark Seas
The reggae guitar is back. This feels a little like Moving Pictures-era Rush with some Police and emo in the mix. It's an intriguing and effective piece.
Murder Days
Driving, hard-edged and really rocking, this has some edgy angles and lot of style.
Little Lies feat. Cailin Russo
Here they put in an unexpected cover - Fleetwood Mac. They bring a harder edge to it, but somehow also play it pretty faithfully. This is a lot of fun.
Take Me
This is an acoustic guitar based ballad. Some strings are added for flavor. It gets pretty rocking, but remains acoustic as it does.
Luna Pt. 3 Waning Moon
A sea of spoken voices that sound like they are from newscasts rise up. Gradually more and more of them are added, and it becomes impossible to understand any of them. That's the entirety of this short interlude.
The Hum
The title track is a particularly effective piece of the same kind of sound we've gotten accustomed to on the rest of the album. There is plenty of metal here, along with mellower things. This is another that makes me think of Muse.
Chrome And Glass
The dynamic range on this is great. We get mellower and more rocking parts contrasted with one another throughout the song. The Muse thing is definitely at play here.
Luna Pt. 4 New Moon
There is a pretty keyboard basis for this classy instrumental.
Bonus Tracks:
                        
Celebration Song (The Hum Sessions)

Harder rocking, the punk angles are definitely in place here, along with metal and alternative edges. This is not as strong as anything on the album proper. Then again, it is a bonus track.

Seeing Red (The Hum Sessions)
This is better than the previous piece. It's definitely got plenty of emo in the mix.
Save Me (The Hum Sessions)
Now this is so much fun. It hard rocking, furious, punky and alternative rock angled. It has  some contrast via mellower modes at points. This is anthemic and all class.

 

 

 
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