A debut that could stand the test of time? Decade come out swinging

There’s something about British bands that can make even the happiest types of music seem somewhat troubled. We have a cynical flair that few can match and Bath quintet Decade have utilised this on their debut ‘Good Luck’, mixing joyous melodies with introverted lyrics to create a stunning first foray into the full-length field.

Decade - Good Luck Out now on Spinefarm/UMG

With only one song over three minutes, there’s no room for filler on the ten tracks that make up ‘Good Luck’. This is an excellent decision on Decade’s behalf, cramming as much harmonious punk rock into the album’s 27 minutes as possible, with admirable results. Title track and opener ‘Good Luck’ twinkles into a heavy introduction that flows straight into a pop-punk verse and an instantly memorable chorus. There are slight hints of early Weezer here and if this is an indication of what’s to come, we’re in for a treat. This theme continues with ‘Brain Freeze’ ‘Callous’ and ‘British Weather’, all stand out tracks in their own right. Verging on the pop-punk side of punk rock this album may be, but there are darker chord progressions than you’d usually hear, with heaps of melody intertwined within. There are sumptuous harmonies and huge choruses everywhere and ‘I Don’t Care’ is no exception. Conjuring up memories of ‘Ideas Above Our Station’, this is a supercharged anthem in the making that will have entire crowds jumping off their feet. On the latter half of the album, the pace slows slightly, but the energy is still rife throughout. The hurricane beginning to ‘Fool’s Gold’ leads into another gargantuan sing-along chorus, which, if you weren’t aware by now, this album is full of and ‘Coffin’ has tinges of Dashboard Confessional within it’s ‘quiet-loud-quiet-loud’ progression. And before you know it, we’re on to the final track, ‘Fake Teeth’. This is a slow burning, lighter/phone-raising end to an album that in some ways is over far too soon. That said, the short length of the album gives it an immediacy that is crucial in a world where people’s attention span is shorter than… wait, what was I saying? Full of youthful exuberance that threatens greatness in the future, ‘Good Luck’ already feels like a classic Brit garage/emo/punk-rock album, with some modern flair thrown in. If Decade develop on the sound they’ve created here for album number two, other bands should watch out. Expect to see these guys everywhere in 2014. And with that, we wish them good luck. 8/10
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