By: Martha Kowalski

Sometimes?

What is up with my favorite artists suddenly mellowing out? Look, I like a good dream pop ballad as much as the next person, but not when I’m expecting fireworks.

The Band CAMINO: for me a gold standard synonym of explosive choruses, heavy guitar-percussion production, and commanding melodies. The band that captivated my previously softer indie pop self with the startling dynamics and power of songs like “Daphne Blue,” “See Through,” and “Novocaine.” I never imagined that I would consider their newest album NeverAlways … flat.

Prior to my discovering the band, I’ve heard that they had a different sound, a more ballad-y type that’s reflected in the earlier “I Spend Too Much Time In My Room” or “The Black and White” that perhaps this album is trying to return to, but even that wouldn’t be an accurate description. No matter the style, The Band CAMINO has a distinctive sound. NeverAlways is some combination of the milder early sound the band had mixed with the aggressive guitar-centric production of their recent music – it’s a little jarring. The two styles clash at times, as evidenced by the introduction of “Limbo” – the opening piano solo is beautiful but personally, it doesn’t carry over well into the next few rock-heavy measures. Unfortunately, the competition between the two modes prevails throughout the album.

I can’t say that I dislike this album, but my expectations fight with what was really recorded. The theme is very clear: an in-between turmoil of emotions post-breakup that considers what went wrong from being an item for “always” to suddenly “never.” It’s not bitter or angsty, which I appreciate a lot as it lets the band’s lyrical skills really shine through in the storytelling. Match this with equally powerful melodies and this would be a perfect album. Perhaps it was an attempt to match the introspective lyrics with softer music – I don’t know, but I feel a disconnect between the two. For instance, I adore the composition of “Can’t Go Back” but the lyrics feel like they left a lot of potential on the table, while the storytelling in “Hates Me Yet (222)” deserves a little bit more support from the melody. The band was able to do this with “Damage” in their previous self-titled album, so I’m not quite sure where the link was missed this time around.

One song that for me preserves the essence of The Band CAMINO and is exactly what I’m looking for is “Stupid Questions.” This is by far my favorite song on the album and makes me wish other individually-released songs like “Nostalgia” were on the record instead of “Karaoke.” In between the glimpses of the band’s trademark sound on the other tracks, “Stupid Questions” captures the hallmark all by itself.

Between never and always, NeverAlways strikes some sort of middle ground with me. For lack of better word, on an overall decent album, there is little that is immediately catchy. It takes some more work to fully appreciate the tracks, which is a shame because they are really good songs. I’m sure that after a few more listens, they will come as naturally as “Know It All,” but I wish it would have been more effortless from a band that always had made it so easy.