Future West – Who Will Forgive All My Sins LP (Blowtorch Records)

Blowtorch Records were kind enough to send us some of their latest releases. For those who might not know, Blowtorch Records is an Irish record label specializing in various subgenres of electronic music, indie, post-punk, and other ear-appealing sonic delicacies. Their catalog is pretty diverse and carries artists and bands that would satisfy even the pickiest fans of the beforementioned music genres. Who Will Forgive All My Sins by Future West was among the other records in the package, so I decided to start with it. It is a highly anticipated second full-length album by this Irish indie rock quintet, released last week via the beforementioned label. The band and Blowtorch Record heavily promoted this material with Last Late Night, All My Sins, Give You My Time, and You Instead, excellent introductory singles that perfectly describe the atmosphere of Who Will Forgive All My Sins. Still, the remainder of the album carries many wonderful songs worth checking out, and I highly advise you to pay attention to it.

Who Will Forgive All My Sins carries eleven cleverly constructed indie rock compositions suitable to even those listeners who’re not into indie music at all. It is due to Future West‘s ability to combine several complementary music genres and apply them to the indie rock foundations of their sound. As soon as you put the needle on this record, you’ll realize that the band decorated those fundamentals of indie rock with quality properties of post-punk, post-rock, alternative rock, shoegaze, lo-fi, Brit-pop, and dream pop. The best part about these experimentations is that Future West are doing it pretty damn well. You will also notice it’s impossible to find any weak moments during the entire album. Who Will Forgive All My Sins showcases the tremendous skills of all four musicians who, judging by their musicianship and ideas, have years or maybe even decades of experience.

The band thought about everything while writing, composing, recording, and producing these numbers. Each theme, melody, harmony, chord progression, and riff has been creatively constructed to apply to the particular composition but also suit the atmosphere of the entire album. Each song acts like a separate story, but together they form an audiobook stacked with impressive lyricism. I like how the sound engineer/producer volumed up the bass guitar, so you can vividly hear every bassline that unquestionably emphasizes the guitar performance and simultaneously supports the rhythm section. Nothing would sound so profoundly dynamic without the highly energetic drumming performance that offers an entire specter of catchy rhythmic sequences, accentuations, and fills. The vocal performance comes as an additional layer of harmonies over the top, which provides more than necessary complexity to each song. Who Will Forgive All My Sins shines bright with many listening pleasures, and you need to check out this full-length as soon as possible in order to grasp its brilliance. Head over to Blowtorch Records for more information about ordering.