Amber Run – 5AM

Indie Rock | Indie Pop

88%

The world of Indie has become far too polluted in recent years. The two major falling points are bands trying to be deep and mysterious and only succeeding in being dreary, or trying to be light and fun and just sounding childish and irritating. Amber Run flirt with these traps but never seem at risk of getting caught. At first listen it seems rather ordinary, but it doesn’t take too long before you start to appreciate the depth and scope of it. They can perfectly pull off both the gentle ballads and the upbeat anthems and yet the album flows perfectly. The artwork is a perfect metaphor as the music is warm and uplifting and weaves it’s way through your thoughts.

The performances are generally faultless. They aren’t virtuoso musicians, the vocals aren’t going to melt your heart and you’re not going to tattoo the lyrics across your face but they are the perfect blend. It’s as if the band was destined to come together and make an album full of songs that are meant to be together. My two highlights are ‘Spark’ and the title track ‘5AM’. Each is preceded my an instrumental interlude that drifts seamlessly into the song and helps it build like a grand spire above an already decadent country manor. It’s one of the best debut albums in recent years. My only real bone to pick is with ‘Noah’. It’s probably the weakest track and although it certainly doesn’t drag the album down, I don’t think it should have been a single. It’s early days yet but 5AM seems like my first major contender for album of the year.