We Are The Union

You Can't Hide The Sun

Written by: PP on 24/01/2013 21:25:44

Usually listening to ska punk means being on the receiving end a trumpets/sax/trombone overload. Not so with We Are The Union, whose debut album "You Can't Hide The Sun" offers a somewhat different take on the genre. Much like Less Than Jake, they have stronger focus on punk rock guitar riffs and catchy melodies than the horn section, which comes in almost as an afterthought on a number of songs. Instead of leading with the bright trombone melodies, they've been reduced to a subtle backing role in most songs, where they'll be absent for lengthy sequences and only arrive to provide texture where necessary.

But where LTJ often have an edgy, almost roughened vibe for their vocals and guitars, We Are The Union instead rely on a high-octane pop punk formula most of the time. Comparisons to Fall Out Boy and The Swellers aren't far off, if either band incorporated a little horns to their sound. As such, you'll notice that the vocal delivery is a little more angsty and emotionally charged than is usually the case for straight up punk bands, so We Are The Union should find plenty of room to grow in the hearts of those type of fans. Similarly, they vary their sound with the occasional gang shout and pop-hardcore riff, bringing into mind Set Your Goals on a song like "I Want You To Hit Me As Hard As You Can".

Elsewhere, Streetlight Manifesto comes to mind to underline that we're still undoubtedly in ska punk territory, even if the pop punk references like to make heavy forays into their sound. When combined, the two styles ensure that "You Can't Hide The Sun", much like it's title suggests, is an album to embrace summer with. It's bright, upbeat, and easily accessible, with plenty of sing-along melody to go with.

Download: Hellbound & Helpless, Delta. Oscar. Whiskey. November,
For the fans of: Less Than Jake, Streetlight Manifesto, The Swellers, Fall Out Boy
Listen: Facebook

Release date 16.10.2012
Paper + Plastick

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