Black Lines
Black Lines gives Mayday Parade's guitars much more to say. The sound is rougher, the riffs carry more weight, and Derek Sanders allows an abrasive edge into his voice. The change produces some of the band's most interesting arrangements, especially when a song follows its darker idea all the way through. It also reveals a few places where the new approach is still being worked out.
“Hollow” is a strong case for the direction. The opening guitar tone immediately changes the atmosphere, and the song uses its heavy melodic movement to create unease. Sanders sounds convincing when his delivery becomes less smooth. The performance has a clear identity rather than simply adding distortion to an established formula. “All On Me” also benefits from the stronger guitar presence and the well-placed drum fills underneath it.
The quieter songs are important to the record's shape. “Letting Go” takes an acoustic route with a lighter musical feel than its breakup subject suggests. “Narrow” starts with picked chords and a restrained voice before the full band changes the scale. That arrival works because the opening has been allowed to establish its own mood. The short “Look Up And See Infinity, Look Down And See Nothing” creates tension through emptier space and a more unsettled atmosphere.
Some songs are less secure. The aggression of “One Of Them Will Destroy The Other” makes a forceful introduction, but its vocal pressure can feel more declared than developed. “Until You're Big Enough” leans toward a familiar Mayday Parade shape without finding the same character as the stronger experiments. The shifts between those approaches occasionally make the album feel undecided.
Even so, Black Lines has a useful sense of discovery. Bass and drums have room to contribute, and the guitars are doing more than supporting a large chorus. Its best material makes emotional discomfort audible in the arrangement itself. “Hollow” and “Narrow” give that ambition a convincing form.
