When We Stay Alive

When We Stay Alive is an illusion of a record but, once explored, an apparently endless labyrinth unfurls.

‘Feel Life’ and ‘Steady’ resolve this darkness, both euphoric and knowing - and beautiful sonically - while ‘Blood Moon’ addresses feeling disappointed in yourself, and what you need to do to push through and make things right. ‘When We Stay Alive’ is emotionally raw, elegantly presented and at many parts a real tear-jerker. Wonderful stuff.

Musically, ‘When We Stay Alive’ mirrors the feeling of physical rehabilitation, the sense of claustrophobia unavoidable on the knotty ‘Fold Up’. The second half of the album, though, strips away the fog and the anger, finding blissful moments of clarity and closure that feel like real eureka moments.

Ultimately, this album is a timely, much-needed, reminder of the fact that while suffering is inevitable, so is our resilience in the face of hardship.

When We Stay Alive represents that rewrite, but it doesn’t sound revisionist—it sounds quite honest, and often stumbles over its own pain and anxiety as it trips towards healing. These imperfections, though, are what give the record character and a sharp personality.

Taken all together, When We Stay Alive is the sound of an individual and a band finding a new purpose, a new way to live and create – even if it is within the confines of familiarity.