Rather than blustering, We Are Revealed ambles boldly. Undeniably personal, frontman Troy Keiper has thrown absolutely everything he has at this record. And it has paid off. We’re presented with a highly commendable second outing from the Portland, Maine based indie rock band showing growth and maturity.
Grounded in indie roots, the album shows growth beyond the scope of its own genre. There are noticeable influences from blues and jazz, adding an extra layer to the already rich sound. There is strong, textured melodic skill along with tentative vocal interplay at work here. Every echo, strain and syllable is heard, almost stressed. The result of which is that someone’s story is being told, rather than a sequence of unrelated anecdotes.
The album’s opener, Arrive, announces confidently that There Is No Sin has indeed arrived. An instant ohrwurm melody, the track is an acoustic guitar-led unconventional love song. The bouncy melody of El Cid fights the melancholy of its sweet lyrics. Practice Crawling‘s strident, hammering guitar line backs the arresting vocals effortlessly, marking one of the highest points on the album.
The strongest tracks on the album are Answers, 244, Practice Crawling and the album’s heart-breaking closing track Inhale.
Poetic and beautiful, There Is No Sin have managed to pull off a sophomore album even more salient than their previous output. Confidence and an innate musicality prevail. We Are Revealed is brimming with organic, understated instrumentation sewn confidently around sublime vocals and a remarkable lyrical ability. It marks, for me, a fresh and bold new take on indie rock, where lyrics and instrumentation aren’t forfeited for the want of a hit.
[xrr rating=4.5/5]
