By: Martha Kowalski

Once again: dynamic, explosive choruses. Once again: guitar and percussion heavy production. Once again: commanding melodies and complete lyrics. 

Once again: a The Band CAMINO album that sounds right. 

NeverAlways (Vol. 2) is the sequel album to NeverAlwaysthat I wrote about with some amount of disappointment a while back. While still a good album, the first take lacked the effortless energy the band is capable of producing, so I was skeptical of raising expectations for its sequel. However, like a book that seems to drag in the beginning, once you make it through the frustrating world-building and character introductions, the next chapter gets good.  

Vol. 2 extends the theme from the original album of in-between turmoil of a dwindling relationship and personal doubts, but the band better conveys it this time. Whereas on the previous album, the lyrics and melodic composition often clashed, Vol. 2 is more cohesive and better-suited to The Band CAMINO’s style. They manage to strike a balance between emotional ballads with clever lyrics and edgy guitar riff fillers to create really memorable tracks. 

First and foremost, I love “Holly!” The opening song of the album immediately put my mind at ease that this is back to the familiar sound of The Band CAMINO I expect, reminiscent of the vibes of their 2019 EP tryhard. “Holly!” is so incredibly catchy, it’s almost a bit addictive. Ideal for fans of Role Model’s “Sally.” 

“Mascara” continues that aggressive guitar into my personal favorite track, “Afterthought.” A fusion of “See Through” and “Told You So” from previous releases while setting up “12:34” later on in the album, “Afterthought” has everything to me: a compelling intro, quieter verses sandwiched between a dynamic refrain of smooth and oscillating downward scales on the lines “You trick me, tie me in a knot, you treat me like an afterthought” that sounds incredibly satisfying. 

Another notable song for me is “Another Body.” It follows the same melody pattern as the previous songs I mentioned, but this one is more serious and introspective of how your partner values you in a relationship and if you truly matter to them. The track is able to do what the band couldn’t capture in Vol. 1 and create a profound track while not sacrificing their sound; there’s no clash between style and substance and, in fact, the harder instruments propel the reflective theme of the track. 

From “Talk Cheap, Die Broke” onwards, the album becomes more energetic and peppier until the closing track “What’s Always Been,” a much gentler song with flowing vocals and quietly buzzing guitar that builds on itself for a perfect end to the song and to the album.  

I really appreciate the resemblance between the tracks here and the band’s previous works. For example, the start of “Do What You Gotta Go” is a mirror image of “Underneath My Skin” off their 2021 self-titled album, while the pre-chorus of “Dancer” could completely pass for the one on “Hush, Hush.”  

Overall, for fans looking for the band to sound a little different than The Band CAMINO’s usual style, I recommend Vol. 1, but for someone more fond of the band’s consistency, Vol. 2 is a winner in my book.