Ours Is Chrome
Ours Is Chrome makes a strong case for a familiar sound. Superheaven take thick, distorted guitars and quiet vocal melodies, then build songs that give both enough room. The pull of 1990s alternative rock is clear, but the Pennsylvania band have more to offer than a set of borrowed tones. Their best moments depend on space and a well-placed hook.
I've Been Bored gives the album an immediate start. The guitars have a satisfying crunch, while the vocal harmonies bring a brighter edge to the song. That balance is useful: the music can sound worn down without becoming difficult to enter. The chorus gives the surrounding weight a clear shape.
All The Pain shows another strength. Its heavier sections hit hard because the quieter passages are allowed to linger. There is no rush to fill every gap with another loud guitar. Room uses a more gently psychedelic verse before opening into a large chorus, and Gushin' Blood benefits from the interplay between the two voices. These songs keep melody close to the centre of the record.
The mood is not always so open. Blur slows the movement and makes the atmosphere more uneasy, with a stripped-back vocal line that suits the change. From The Chest Down takes a longer route, opening around a dark bass figure. The heavier sound gives the later part of the album some welcome force.
The limitations are familiar too. Much of Ours Is Chrome stays at a similar pace, and the band do not make a dramatic move beyond their earlier work. Some songs blend into the wider mood more easily than the strongest hooks do. Anyone hoping for a radical change from Jar is unlikely to find one here.
Still, consistency has its value when the writing is this assured. Superheaven understand how a heavy guitar part can support a vulnerable melody, and how restraint can make the next chorus matter more. Ours Is Chrome is an inviting album for listeners who like grunge, emo and dense alternative rock to meet without losing the song along the way.
