Since their debut album Comatose came out in 2015, it seemed that the boys in Secret Eyes went silent for a bit. After quite some time (4 years, in fact), the Pittsburgh alt-rock band are back at it again and better than ever with yet another excellent album Holding On. Released on November 1st via InVogue Records, it’s pretty evident that Secret Eyes is more than confident than ever in their sound and ability to produce a record that seamlessly combines so many different styles onto 13 tracks.
From the beginning we get a fiery first track “Buried In Diamonds” that proves that just because a band is primarily placed in one genre, it doesn’t mean they can’t produce a track with infectious poppy elements as well. Cooper’s attributed light high-registered vocals mesh very comfortably together as they intermingle with the deep resonance of the drums. This keeps the track in it’s heavier elements while its creative melodic guitar work keeps things grounded with the vocals. It’s a great start to an impressive record that gets us pumped for what’s to come next.
Other standout performances onHolding On takes us more to the softer side of the album with more dreamy emotionally driven vocals and a unique acoustically charged introduction with “Color and Sound”, something that we really don’t get until later on in the album. The track slowly picks back up with enormous drum energy that effortlessly glides through into more prodigious melodically charged guitar territory. Excellently written is an understatement when it comes to talking about this track and will be a favorite for many fans.
Another remarkable track on this record is “Talking Underwater”, a track that puts away all the heavy elements and just exists with its raw acoustic energy. Easily one of the most diverse instrumentally on Holding On, it’s almost completely alien from the the rest of the album with its acoustic and beautiful piano melodies interlaced with Cooper’s amazing vocal control.
This album stands out because of its ability to actively submerse you in its instrumental environments, and it completely robs you of your senses to want to be anywhere else other than with the atmospheric and emotional lyrical world this album creates as well. If you are looking for an album that takes your audio senses to another level, check out this amazing release.
