SharpTone Records [Release date 06.09.24]
Sundiver marks Boston Manor’s fifth album. Hailing from the seaside town of Blackpool, the five piece have been busy bashing out bangers since their first EP in 2013. I was first introduced to Boston Manor through their second studio album, Welcome to the Neighbourhood in 2018 and have been following their rise to fame since.
Datura (dawn) opens the album, a quiet and reflective number that mirrors their previous album’s opener, Datura (dusk), perhaps to signify the evolving and differentiating sound of Boston Manor, symbolised by the night and day theme of both releases. Heavy guitar starts to peek through as we get to Container. It’s everything you’d expect from the band; catchy, quick and one to add straight to a playlist.
Cox’s vocals sound different on this album. His older style still comes through, but there’s a newfound maturity and slickness to his vocals, almost reminiscent of something you’d hear in a Deftones song.
This is especially clear in Sliding Doors, combined with a mixture of muffled, scratchy screams and drawn out guitar notes. It’s a new venture for Boston Manor, but their new sound direction just seems to make sense. HEAT ME UP was released as a single and stands out as such. It takes inspiration from Boston Manor’s first two albums, with some of that new experimental twist they’re playing with in this one.
Morning Star introduces the second half of the album. It serves as the short instrumental break between the two sections, pulling into a darker, eerie second half.
Starting off with Why I Sleep, a riff-heavy groove that sets the tone for the electronic and dissonant Fornix and Dissolve. Cox sings ‘I can change if you want me to, I can be whoever you need me to be’, embodying the style of the album; not shying away from the new sound they’ve taken on.
What is Taken, Will Never Be Lost is the penultimate song on the album, bringing the tone back to the more pensive atmosphere created at the start, where an acoustic and bass guitar takes centre stage. It’s almost a little melancholic.
DC Mini brings Sundiver to a close, and reminded me of the vibe their second album, Welcome to the Neighbourhood gave.
It’s like a dark, cold winter night but there’s something about it that’s so quintessentially British, yet I can’t quite put my finger on it. Guest vocals from Heriot were unexpected on my first listen, but it all falls into place. These guys know what they’re doing.
Overall it’s a strong album that brings a new sound to Boston Manor. Instrumental interludes and drawn out outros that weave each song together with the right amount of breathing space in between.
It’s gritty, raw and unapologetic in its message that the alternative music scene is alive and kicking. Sundiver will likely satisfy existing fans, and draw in some more with their experimentation of a different sound.
It’s built a strong foundation for whatever the five piece decides to do next. If you’re new to this band, I’d definitely recommend spinning one of their previous discs before (sun) diving into this one. ****
Review by Jasmine Ritchie
For fans of: Cleopatrick, Moose Blood, Deftones
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