Spielbergs – This Is Not The End

Alternative Rock | Indie Rock | Punk

82%

A debut album is the perfect moment to make a statement and to get people in your corner. It’s a band’s chance to take the podium and make a speech, to give their elevator pitch to the world. You can do this one of two ways; you can have every little detail planned out, taking your time ironing out all the flaws. Or, you can go the Spielbergs route, full of zeal and purpose. Not the kind of statement that has all the answers, but the kind spoken with such conviction as to win over hearts and minds. Sure, This Is Not The End isn’t perfect. ‘Familiar’ feels a bit lumbering and never really leads anywhere, ‘S.K.’ is a needless interlude, and the record as a whole has a problem with flow and pacing. But when the album really delivers, you find yourself more than willing to forgive its faults.

‘Bad Friend’ is full of pop punk spirit while ‘McDonalds (Please Don’t Fuck Up My Order)’, as well as simultaneously having the best and the worst song title of year, is reminiscent of REM’s ‘New Orleans Instrumental’. Stellar closing track ‘Forevermore’ sits somewhere between the two, finding the perfect balance between the album’s exuberant moments and its more expansive ones. Returning EP tracks ‘Distant Star’ and ‘We Are All Going To Die’ still stand out as the band’s finest work thus far, but new offerings ‘You All Look Like Giants’ and ‘4AM’ come pretty close to replicating the magic. The album as a whole boasts wonderfully expressive bass lines, tortured guitar tones and punchy, no-nonsense drums. In an age full of lacklustre releases and filler tracks, one of my most important pieces of advice for new artists is to treat each release like it might be your last. Give it everything you’ve got. Spielbergs have done just that, and their refreshing energy and enthusiasm has resulted in one of the first great releases of 2019.