Let's be real - it's difficult for people to get out of their comfort zones an change their routine. The best evidence for this was Ewian when their sophomore album was a total simulacrum of their debut. Luckily, his third album is a complete opposite.
Truth to be told, you can still recognize the sound of Ewian because he obtains some characteristic melodies. This time, he has dressed his sweet noise into a pop suit which made songs gain superficial, hit-chasing faculty. It is as If darkness was suddenly replaced with light, or let me be even more banal and say that after the night came the sunrise.
When I saw the album cover and album title Heart Crash Boom Boom, I wondered whether he distanced himself from the source where Muse and Radiohead were his biggest influences. You can still hear sonic particles of his idols, but it is all know put through the modern bombastic indie pop-rock sound that can also be found in The Killers, Placebo, Coldplay, Keane, etc.
The album unfolds with Radioactive star in which Ewian sets clear that he wants changes, but he also wants to maintain integrity. This track is a decent successor of past records' singles - undefined music background with harsh, dreamy vocal. Themes are the same as before. Yes, changes are there, but..
Following Visions brings us a whole new picture, as it is a song lead by piano sections and intermittent guitar riffs. I am pretty sure all Keane's fans will fall in love with this tune. Sorry sounds like Coldplay trying to deliver a more obscure version of Muse's infamous Starlight. My personal favorite is The Crash The Resurrection, because it hit me directly in the head after the very first listen with its falsetto-driven melody. The most playful is certainly Love Love Hate Hate, offering rockabilly combined with distorted guitars.
I believe that Ewian was on a crossroad of his artistry. He wasn't sure what's next. Luckily, he returned with some interesting ideas that invite us to hear how he put his past under the new light. Heart Crash Boom Boom should have been his sophomore album and Good Old Undergroundshould have never happened since it sounded the same as the debut. Still, we got another sweet material by an artist who did not give up.
