Over the years Never Shout Never has morphed their sound completely. Going from cute ukulele laced love songs to a more theatrical brand of rock and roll, the band has changed much more than the number of band members. With the band’s newest release Black Cat they’ve changed things up yet again.
This time around Never Shout Never takes their sound in a more light-hearted and pop-inspired direction. The first three songs (“Hey! We Okay”, “Fone Tag” and “Red Balloon”) sound like they could easily be listeners new summer jams with back to back catchy choruses and dancey beats.
While there is a clear change in pace with the group’s overall sound, that’s not to say that they’ve abandoned any of the quirkiness that fans have come to love. With the addition of piano/keyboards, horns, whistles and harmonized voiceovers it seems that Never Shout Never haven’t forgotten who they are in favor of catchier tunes. This is most evident on tracks like “Black Cat,” which is reminiscent of the band’s more recent and experimental work, and “Peace Song,” which sounds like it could fit in easily on one of Chris Drew’s earlier, acoustic filled EPs.
Black Cat as a whole does a great job of blending the old with the new, but probably the best examples of this feat are on tracks like the relatable and fun “Awkward Conversations (Best Day)” and the album’s epic, optimistic finale “All Is Love.”
Never Shout Never’s newest album definitely feels like a new chapter for the band. Black Cat could be uncomfortably different for some fans, but the album is probably to most exciting and intriguing release from the band in a while.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Recommended Tracks: “Awkward Converstations (Best Day)” and “All Is Love”
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