Canadian Alt-Rockers Fools Of Love release their debut full-length album the aptly named ‘The Howl And The Whisper’. Opener ‘Miles Away’ isn’t your standard, all guns blazing, hit em hard hit em fast, album opener. The melancholy tune emotively plods with an almost reflective thirty-something, checkered shirt style. The electric guitars are let out to play on the middle of the road Rocking ‘Fix Yourself’ the song is complemented by some well placed extra female vocals on the chorus. Both ‘Heavy Head’ and ‘Golden Age’ cruise the Nickleback highway while the thoughtful man ditty ‘Live Forever (Never Die)’ gets close but never quite takes off. The semi-suicidal ‘Swan Dive’ slowly flickers away before the slow-burning acoustic cut ‘Sleeping On A Train’ gently grabs the attention. The breezy ‘Down By The Lake’ and ‘Beautiful End’ tick tock with heartfelt but cliched Alt-Rock lyrics. The best is saved for last as the year yearning ‘Simple Pleasures’ rattles along with some much needed edge that finally cuts across the safety lane and happily accelerates away. Fools Of Love have produced an Alt Rock album of substance and quality but sadly the songs merge into one and need a jolt, a kick or even a light cut to the arm. Closer to a six than an eight.
FOOLS OF LOVE
THE HOWL AND THE WHISPER
7/10