Album Review: Weatherbox - Follow The Rattle Of The Afghan Guitar EP

For some releasing a record with such an eccentric title would surround them in their own little controversy, especially against first track ‘Secret Muslim’, but Weatherbox are certainly ambitious. This San Diego based troop rose from the flames of My American Heart and have an extremely long list of former members, surely what they have is the result of some form of music natural selection then?

Well, the band is certainly tight, their timing is virtually infallible as the intricate sets of riffs in ‘My Head’ boast heartily, however, this song still lacks a certain climax despite the gang vocals introduced to try and liven up the bridge of this song.

As stated before, the guitar riffs are very impressive, and no song has more going on guitar-wise on this album than ‘Mountain’, but even in this sea of six string excellence the vocals don’t quite keep up, seeming almost stubborn in the face of a need for increased gusto and the balls that haven’t quite dropped musically in them, Weatherbox instead settling for a much more pop-based vocal approached, which works in certain situations, but does not quite benefit their sound in the way that it was possibly intended to.

Having said that however, Weatherbox come very close to achieving that sound in ‘Heavy Map’, a track that should have really been closer to the opening of the record, showing right away the strengths of Weatherbox which they should be exploiting to a much further degree than they manage on the rest of the tracks on 'FTROTAG'.

Another strong contender for the crown of greatest song on the record is the funk-inspired ‘Broken Glowsticks’ featuring elements ranging from Rage Against The Machine to Weezer to Stevie Wonder in a mesh that really does call into question why this track is stuck at the back of an album where the first few tracks are so slow in comparison to the tour de force it becomes later on.

The last three tracks on this album are enough to blow the legs of even the most stubborn of tetrapods but unfortunately the initial three tracks are not quite strong enough to pull in that initial interest needed to truly capture the attention of an audience. Everyone however, should listen to these last three tracks and despite the album order, listen to these first, for they truly are three brilliant pieces of music.

3/5

Edward Strickson