The 1984 Draft – Best Friends Forever LP (Various Labels)

Here’s another good vinyl release from Engineer Records, which arrived at our headquarters yesterday. I stumbled upon this band several times on various webzines and music websites, but I never gave them a listen until now. After thoroughly listening to their latest album, I can only recommend The 1984 Draft to anyone who’s into profoundly melodic music. The bands that nurture sound like this are rare nowadays, so you should check them out as soon as possible. Best Friends Forever is their second full-length material, released by Engineer Records, Sell The Heart Records and Poptek Records. It represents a proper continuation of their debut, Makes Good Choices, but it also showcases many improvements in songwriting and composing. Besides these two full-lengths, The 1984 Draft also released several singles that promoted both records.

Best Friends Forever consists of eleven excellent songs that simultaneously explore a lot of complementary music genres. Perhaps indie punk comes to mind first, but The 1984 Draft carry more than meets the eye through their meaningful and perfectly executed songs. There are some of the finest properties borrowed from music genres such as classic punk rock, melodic punk rock, indie rock, indie folk, folk rock, power pop, and Americana. The band thoroughly assembled every song included on this incredible album, so all these music styles work together in a divine, mesmerizing, harmonious way. As soon as you put a needle on this vinyl record, you’ll notice that The 1984 Draft are experienced musicians who invested time and ideas into their tracks. The effort paid off in a comprehensive collection worth listening to every time when you need some exceptional indie music.

There’s no way you will miss all those ear-appealing themes, leads, arpeggiated and regular chord progressions, and heavily distorted riffs. A thick layer of raw, abrasive, dirty-sounding guitars is one of the heaviest weapons of this band, but it’s not their only quality. The remainder of the group sounds equally good, and you will also notice how complex low-end tones lurk right beneath the guitar channels. Of course, the bass guitar is solely responsible for the dense, luxurious, massive sounds that give more clarity to chord progressions. Nothing would sound so profoundly dynamic without cleverly assembled rhythmic structures built upon detailed beats, accentuations, fills, and other percussive acrobatics. I adore how those slightly distorted lead vocal harmonies perfectly match the beforementioned orchestrations, and there are also back vocals included on particular songs for a more anthemic feel. There is no doubt Best Friends Forever is an exceptional indie punk album suitable for any moment or occasion. The 1984 Draft thought about every detail, and you’ll unquestionably notice it. Head to Engineer Records for more information about ordering this gem on vinyl.