Having formed in 2011 and released two albums along with countless singles, you might think that New York’s Against The Current have no musical ground left to cover. Well, think again because their third long player, Till Death & Back finds them forging forwards, swimming counter to expectations, delivering a selection of ten tracks that are at once hard and catchy, having an inherent earworm quality despite the raw emotion in which they are marinated. It makes the Against The Current listening experience one like no other, so stick the needle in the groove and let the band take you on an amazing journey…Till Death & Back.
If there were any doubts about Against The Current’s drive and purpose then they are immediately blown out the water by opening track ‘Fortune Favors The Brave’. There’s no time to waste on elongated preambles or rambling introductions, the band arriving with the force of a sudden storm and one that swirls from speaker to speaker like a raging tempest. It’s a track that’s opened up a new dimension to the band’s oeuvre and operates on several levels; on the surface we have the band’s love of melody and song structure, meaning this song will soon ingratiate itself into your psyche and follow you around like a friendly spectre. Yet there’s also a darker element, a shade to contrast the band’s light, a lyrical bent that sings of loss and longing, and cuts to the very quick of human existence. It’s a neat tension of opposites and it will echo throughout the album, making Till Death & Back the equivalent of stepping into a hall of mirrors as themes and motifs are echoed and foreshadowed, tracks such as ‘The Moth’ planting seeds that will come to fruition as the record progresses.
The album’s duality makes Till Death & Back a piece of art that can be enjoyed on several levels. Sometimes critics can over analyse music and a desire to excavate a record’s depths can mean they overlook what’s on the surface and each of these ten tracks have an effortless chart bothering potential. Cuts such as ‘White Noise’ are sure to ignite pits where and whenever they are unleashed, yet scratch the surface and there’s a cerebral quality that will suit late night bedroom musing equally well. Pulling all these various strands together, the album comes to an emotional conclusion with the title track and ensures the Against The Current are steering a clear path through turbulent waters.
- Till Death & Back is released via Fueled By Ramen on 30th October 2026.
- Against The Current Official Website
Track List:
- Fortune Favors The Brave
- Dead Man Walking
- Ashes To Glory
- The Moth
- Heavenly
- Always You & I
- White Noise
- Protégé
- Stuck
- Till Death & Back
