Album Review: Seaway – Colour Blind (2015 LP)

Bursting with the nostalgic pop-punk vibes of the early 2000s, where bands like The Starting Line and New Found Glory ruled, Seaway are a new fresh face to the pop-punk scene. Since signing with Pure Noise Records, they have been exposed to the same community of people who listen to the likes of State Champs, Hit The Lights and The Story So Far. With their latest offering Colour Blind, the Canadian five-piece are full of fiery energy, with clear-cut instrumentation and lively riffs…

Coming across their EP, All In My Head, this really gave me the opportunity to appreciate their music for what it was. The immensity of flavoursome tunes made the summer road trip detours worthwhile for this EP. Despite the over-saturation of bands that have fallen into plateau, Seaway bring this positive vibe to the pop punk scene.

Opening track, “Slam” feels like the start of a new era. The guitar progression and instrumentation conveyed in this track is an explosion of chords that are flourishing, capturing melodic vibes that are punchy and fierce. With an epic build-up in the song, the chemistry in their musicianship can be felt. “Best Mistake” is a very The Starting Line-esque track with a strong resonance of their popular song “Best Of Me”. The chorus is loud, spelling out that familiar situation of loving someone you know who’s bad for you. With its lively chorus and crazy sound dynamics blended well in the instrumentation, Seaway have this natural way of making something sound really good without trying so hard. There’s attention-to-detail when it comes to the overall feels of the record which sums up a tirade of emotion in their lyrical content and I feel like the band have certainly adjusted themselves accordingly in their sound progression.

The riffs feel so close to home with “Trick (So Sweet)” which remind me of the early days where Yellowcard first released Ocean Avenue in 2003, becoming a formative soundtrack for current pop punk/alternative rock bands right now. With the fun and contagious instrumentals, the lyrics holds a bittersweet tone of being screwed over with a line “I hope that you miss me” as a stagger to the heart. Through this, Seaway managed to sum up a moment in their lives where they felt like love wasn’t in the cards for them right now and to have them mask this feeling into a song. It sums up the fact that sometimes letting go of any negative energy is through writing poetic verses and making noisy, electric-driven music.

It’s clear that the recurring theme of the record is dealing with heartache and the uphill battle of a break-up. “The Day She Left” is a masquerade of a tune with its fiercely-induced guitar riffs and strong drumming progression, taking on the road of raging frustration in the lyrical content, “You’ve got a lot to tell me but it’s nothing that I don’t already know” has an obvious passive-aggressive tone.

Come to think of it, Seaway are very emotional and honest when it comes to their lyrics and it’s a quality that has directly made their pop punk music so empowering and refreshing to listen to. Of course, many pop punk bands address issues about rough patches in a relationship but this band clearly thrive in simplicity and like to further experiment the sound of pop punk in an interesting way. They bring an edgy and diverse ring to what is currently being promoted in the pop punk scene right now and it’s amazing to see a band avoid any regurgitation of riffs and predictable patterns in their music.

As someone who has grown up with many pop punk bands, I’m excited to see Seaway progress even further with their career. With a new wave of bands emerging in this scene, I have big hopes that they will eventually cement themselves as being one of the well-known names out there. After having listened to so many pop punk records in the last year or so, I can safely say that Colour Blind is a quality album with tunes that would be happily devoured by those who are pop-punk thirsty. The five-piece have clearly done their homework, creating a soft spot for those that have loved the early stages of pop punk in the 2000s. It’s amazing to see young bands like Seaway influence the next generation of listeners out there and if they consistently bring out albums like Colour Blind to the table, their radar for pop punk music will only get stronger.

Review Score: 8.5 out of 10 AU-APPROVED

Colour Blind is available now via Pure Noise Records

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