Pure Love

Anthems

Written by: PP on 19/02/2013 22:52:02

"I'm so sick of singing about hate / It's time that I made a change" sings Frank Carter on "Bury My Bones", one of the highlight tracks on "Anthems" by his new, post-Gallows project Pure Love. I guess everybody just gets tired of screaming and yelling one day, or at least that's what has happened with Carter big time here. The transformation from a tattooed hooligan to a halfway folksy, charismatic alternative rock singer is radical to say the least, not to even mention surprising, especially when considering that his partner in crime is ex-Hope Conspiracy guitarist Jim Carroll. Talk about a total change in style when you can compare Pure Love to bands like Gaslight Anthem and The Wildhearts, and any mention of Gallows feels foreign and misplaced.

Essentially, "Anthems" is Carter's transition into a more mature individual. He dabbles in contemporary rock now, with an arena-ready sound that draws its inspiration from Springsteen and others like him. The weird part about it is that he sounds like a natural, singing with a charming strain to his voice that resembles a British version of the Americana style delivered by Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon. He sounds so comfortable and fitting in his new role that it feels almost impossible to imagine he once yelled lyrics like "You're all looking fucking fine / Baby spread those shaking legs / Because I'm feeling fucking hungry tonight " ("Orchestra Of Wolves", Gallows) night in, night out.

Usually this sort of a sell-out move would piss me off endlessly as a fan of the heavier music, but Carter's singing coupled with Carroll's excellent songwriting is simply too good to be ignored. "Anthems", like its title suggests, is packed with modern rock songs that pay their respects towards the big arena rock influences of the old. They are huge songs that should resonate well within the mainstream audience if "Handwritten" is anything to go by. Ironically enough, Pure Love in this constellation is better than the relic of Gallows without Carter fronting them. Check it out and be surprised.

Download: Bury My Bones, The Hits, Handsome Devils club
For the fans of: The Gaslight Anthem, Bruce Springsteen, Sharks
Listen: Facebook

Release date 04.02.2013
Vertigo / Mercury Records

Related Items | How we score?
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

Legal

© Copyright MMXXIV Rockfreaks.net.