Review by Dom Vigil
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little bit apprehensive about Nevada Rose before I actually listened to them. It’s not a personal thing, but I feel that there are only so many bands that can really do the whole electronic/hardcore mash-up thing (and pull it off) before the genre just becomes too saturated with bands that all sound the same. But that being said, I’m actually glad that I actually sat down and listened to Nevada Rose’s debut album, Paint Me In Light.
The first thing that really stood out about Paint Me In Light was the album’s solid sound. Though this is Nevada Rose’s first full-length record, they really seem to know what direction they want to go and don’t deviate from that, which is an amazing strength for a band to have on their first full-length album. And while I was worried about Paint Me In Light sounding too much like other acts in its genre, that thankfully isn’t the case with this record. While the electronic parts coupled with the screams sound similar to artists such as Attack Attack! or I See Stars, Nevada Rose manages to found their own unique sound as well. If they should be known for anything, it should be their catchy, clean choruses that mesh well with their heavy, electronic driven breakdowns.
Nevada Rose’s trademark sound is really showcased well in the fourth track on the album, “Murals.” The song begins with a slow, electronic buildup, followed by the melodic clean vocals (that I find are somewhat similar to Breathe Carolina) which carry the track until the screams and heavy guitar parts come in and really hit hard. And just when you think the song can’t get any better or any more interesting, the chorus kicks in with a catchy, dancy melody and takes you by surprise. The track as a whole is a journey and every single part just meshes wonderfully, really making for an awesome listen, leading right into another one of the strongest songs on the album “Scars To Prove,” which is carried heavily by the captivating clean vocals throughout the track.
The only downside in Paint Me In Light comes with the electronic parts in some of the tracks. While, in many songs on this album, the balance between electronic and hardcore is perfect, and the parts complement each other and mesh well, there are other songs on Paint Me In Light that drop the ball. A good example of this would be the third track on the album, “Anchors For Sunsets.” While the song starts off strong and heavy (and definitely ends that way as well), it’s the dubstep breakdown at about the halfway mark in the track that really throws the balance off before picking back up where it left off, as if it had never happened. Similar tracks to this include “Meet Me At Midnight” and “Vanity,” but despite the somewhat overdone electronic parts on these songs, Nevada Rose still manage to showcase their songwriting and musical abilities with the tracks that do mesh well, as well as the vocals on this entire album, which are definitely one of Paint Me In Lights strongest aspects.
Overall, Paint Me In Light is a great debut album for Nevada Rose. While some of the electronic parts on this record might be a little overdone, it’s to be expected from a band that’s still learning exactly what they want to do as artists. And despite that one flaw, Paint Me In Light really showcases this group’s songwriting abilities. It’s not easy to combine two genres as different as electronic and hardcore, but Nevada Rose pull it off, and Paint Me In Light will easily be the album to put these guys on the map. For fans of I See Stars and Breathe Carolina, keep an eye out – I wouldn’t be surprised if Nevada Rose ends up supporting one of these acts in the coming months.
Rating: 3/5
Listen to “Murals”