As December Falls - When You Figure Out You're Wrong, Get Back To Me

As December Falls have been going since 2014, released their debut EP in December that year, were listed as one of Scuzz's top unsigned bands of 2015 and have been riding high since then. They're looking to build on this success with their latest EP, When You Figure Out You're Wrong, Get Back To Me, released this February. On this release, As December Falls build on their experiences as a band in the last year and make a bid for proving themselves to be able to stand amongst their influences.


Unfortunately, the band falters a little bit out of the gates. Everything You Say feels very poppy and clinically produced, contributing to a very powerful pop- punk sound but lacking the aggression that characterises most other offerings in the genre. It works effectively in introducing the band's style to new listeners, playing to the strengths of the band's electronic influences, but I'm left wondering if it's a little bit too polished, running the risk of sounding the sum of their parts instead of striking out for something new. Bethany Curtis has a great voice, but I'm wondering if I'm left listening to an original band or Hayley Williams fronting PVRIS. Curtis has obviously got the vocal chops to distinguish herself as a powerful lead singer, with an amazing range and vocal delivery, but her placement and harmonies run the risk of being derivative of William's own style. Luckily, single Don't Say A Word has some more buzzy sounding rhythm guitars, and some effortlessly cool lead guitar work by Ande Hunter gives the track a more aggressive and demanding tone. Hunter's guitar work on this track stands out, and the groovy, syncopated chorus works great. Don't Say A Word is definitely gonna be a floor-filler of a song, with Curtis' delivery of the track's aggressive, sarcastic bridge a real highlight.

But it's on Capture that the As December Falls really show off their musical range and penchant for crafting interesting, epic anthems. The band moves away from traditional pop punk, instead focusing on a sound that utilises stadium drums with heavy reverb, delay driven guitars and syncopated, off beat rhythms. Hunter's guitar tone is really solid and beefy, sounding like a more powerful Edge; in fact, the best comparison I can make is that this is a pop punk U2 song, with Lukas James' pseudo-marching band drumming being reminiscent of Larry Mullen Jr's work on tracks like Sunday Bloody Sunday. Yet the comparison is a tenuous one, and that's a good thing; on Capture, the band manage to strike out and develop their own style. And the bridge -with its chunky riffs that evolve into a disco style call-and-response lead guitar line - injects a real sense of energy into this song. This was the real highlight on the EP; Capture avoided the pitfall of being derivative that the previous two tracks came tantalisingly close to doing so. It's here that Arthur Walwin's production works at its best to complement As December Falls' sound; the polish and radio friendly production makes sense, and works well at expanding and communicating the sound they're going for, instead of just sanding off all the aggression and bite that I feel the band really needs.

Things I Don't Want develops this sound, with more delay heavy, Edge-style guitar lines, and a chorus that just explodes into fist-pumping awesomeness. With Curtis and Hunter trading off vocal lines against each other, and Hunter's aggressive, raw vocals providing a brilliant counterpoint to Curtis' polish and sheen, As December Falls inject a sense of grit and tension into what could easily pass as a radio-quality single. EP closer Always Set On Letting Go sees the band expanding their sound even further, incorporating piano rolls and flanged guitars into their sound, creating a haunting atmosphere that is reminiscent of Absolution-era Muse mixed with modern day pop-punk. This song roars with energy and tension, which is great for a closer; but it's also dynamic, slowing down and becoming expansive at times, allowing James' excellent drumming to come to the forefront, and creating a hell of a pay-off in the catchy sing along chorus. I really appreciate that the most energetic track comes at the end of the EP; it's a bold move by the band, and it shows that they're not afraid to take risks when it comes to how they think about their tracklisting. Always Set On Letting Go leaves me wanting to hear a lot more from this band.

I'm not gonna lie; when I first put this EP on, I wasn't that sold on the strengths of the band. I think its biggest misstep is in its opening track, Everything You Say, which just doesn't play to the band's strengths. I still think some of my criticisms on that track ring true, and I really do feel like Curtis needs to find her own voice and vocal style as a lot of what she contributes seems like she's trying to fill someone else's shoes. But I was happily proven wrong as the EP unfolded. Over the course of When You Figure Out You're Wrong, Get Back To Me, As December Falls developed and showcased a set of songs that really put their musical talent and song-writing prowess at the forefront, creating an expansive, effects heavy sound that makes the band sound huge, unique and more creative than just being the sum of all their influences, with particular credit where its due for Hunter's guitar work and James' drumming. With its strong, poppy production and powerful sound, As December Falls could make a play for getting some serious mainstream attention with this EP. I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do next.