Album Reviews

Cosmic punk rock. Could be the description of a Tom DeLonge project, but it’s actually how Marietta, GA’s Courage, Dear Heart describe themselves. They are a relatively new band that features Jon Laddon on vocals (formerly of 7-10 Split).

“The Future Was Now” is the band’s full-length debut and comes with ten melodic punkrock songs that ‘relate the complexities of time, space, and metaphysics to our everyday experiences’. Now, I’m not sure what you’re looking for in a punk song, but I highly doubt that when prompted this is what you would answer. Regardless, the first couple of tracks come at you with plenty of speed, big hooks and solid vocals. Kinda reminded me of Craig’s Brother… does anyone remember those guys? Especially tracks like “Chicago” and “Shallowed Be Thy Name” are standouts as far as I’m concerned.

As you work your way through the album though, I found it increasingly hard to tell the different songs apart. Everything kinda blends together and while it’s still well executed, I found my attention waning towards the end. Ladd however encourages listeners to ‘don’t just open your ears, but open your mind. Be ready for everything to change’. I tried, I failed and as a result my life stayed exactly the same. Which is actually fine by me.