Correction: The original version of this review contained an error. The title of the album should have read “Euphoric /// Heartbreak \\\.”
For almost every band, the second full-length album is a time of reckoning. As a general rule, the fact that the band is releasing a second album indicates that there was something, some quality, in the previous release that attracted fans. The band must then decide whether to branch off into new territory or stay firmly rooted in its comfort zone.
With “Euphoric /// Heartbreak \\\,” Scottish alternative rock band Glasvegas has found a way not just to survive making a second album, but to excel. On its debut album, Glasvegas stuck primarily to alt-rock-oriented songs with traditional instrumentation: lots of guitar, lots of drums, bass, vocals and sparse synth sounds.
On its new album, Glasvegas is majestic without totally abandoning its original sound. The volume is there, as are the vocals delivered in a Scottish brogue liable to make any American resent being born in a land where accents don’t come standard. However, Glasvegas uses significantly more synthesized string effects and bigger washes of warm, echoing sound.
The result is an album that is much more ethereal than alternative rock. The sound is not definite, as if the album is a picture that cannot be quite brought into focus. This principle applies to the vocals as well, which are indistinct at times. Once the listener gets used to this, however, the music becomes much easier to appreciate as a whole.
The album starts off with a song that could not be more different than Glasvegas’ previous music. “Pain Pain Never Again” is otherworldly. A warm bed of music backs up purely spoken vocals, giving the impression that the song is more of a poetic introduction to the album than an independent song.
From that point on, the album is made of well-executed and majestic songs which exude longing, angst and confusion over the future as well as self-identity.
“You” and “Whatever Hurts You Through the Night” are love songs that take the angle of a questioning lover, one who knows the potential of love but doesn’t know if the object of his affection feels the same way.
“I Feel Wrong (Homosexuality, Pt. 1)” and “Stronger Than Dirt (Homosexuality, Pt. 2)” explore a theme rarely heard in popular music, that of homosexuality. Frontman James Allan sings of the confusion of realizing you are gay, the fear of what others might think and finally the acceptance, strength and pride that comes from being who you truly are. It is a bold and poignant section of the album that perfectly exhibits Glasvegas’ talent for making songs that make the listener truly think.
The most powerful song on the album, however, is the final song, “Change.” In a three-minute jewel at the end of an already powerful set of songs, “Change” takes the form of a conversation between a son (whose lyrics are sung) and a mother (whose lyrics are spoken).
The son fears changing himself, as well as the difficulty and confusion it will bring. However, he sings that he would change for his mother. He looks to her for support, and she offers loving encouragement to him. She tells him that change can be good, and that he should not change for her sake but for his own.
Aside from vocals, the song’s instrumentation is mainly a softly played piano, making this coming-of-age song one of the most delicate songs on the album, and one that will stay with the listener for a long time.
“Euphoric /// Heartbreak “ may surprise fans at first, with its more majestic and otherworldly music. However, it is a collection of beautiful, well-written and poignant songs worth significantly more of the listener’s time than the 48 minutes it will take to listen to the album.
““ Andrew Bain
Email Bain at abain@media.ucla.edu.