Album Review: Trade Wind - 'You Make Everything Disappear'

Sometimes dreams do come true.

I honestly never thought I would see another release from Trade Wind, but sweet baby Jesus, here it is! I for one am so fucking glad that these guys have continued on. The alternative outfit's debut EP, ‘Suffer Just To Believe’, was a great release but I couldn’t help shake the feeling that the band's lifespan, as a side-project/supergroup of sorts, would be incredibly short and that that EP would be all she wrote. Yet here we are, two years later with Trade Wind truly outdoing themselves with ‘You Make Everything Disappear’.

As for the faces behind the music, ol’ TW is comprised of Stick To Your Guns singer, Jesse Barnett, Stray From The Path guitarist, Tom Williams, and more recently added to the mix, Structures drummer Andrew McEnaney, and bassist Randy LeBeouf. If you’re only familiar with the members respective bands, fan or not, their work in Trade Wind may really surprise you and it may even win you over. The sound and style of this band, and this album as a whole, really goes to show that these dudes are so much more than just a ‘hardcore’ or ‘metalcore’ tagline and that their musical preferences go further than mere heavy riffs and breakdowns.

That's shown by just how dynamic these songs are at times, and the band knows exactly how to build their songs up, when to reign them in, and when to let them loose. There is also some huge Thrice and Deftones-worship going on here. That is by no means a negative, mind you. 'I Hope That I Don't Wake Up' and ‘Lowest Form’ follow a similar vibe and sound to the last couple Thrice records, and the heavier moments of the 'Tones really shine through, especially on 'Rare' and at the very end of 'Lowest Form'. Of course, the dark, moody atmospherics of bands like Deftones abound, and these influences are perhaps best found in ‘Radio Songs’ and 'Tatiana (I Miss You So Much)'. However, forever keeping you on your toes, the instrumentation and overall timbre of ‘Grey Light’ evokes Coldplay's later material (shut up, they're fucking great). Perhaps that last one was a subconscious effort, or maybe it was completely intentional, as I know that Williams is a big fan of Chris Martin and co (again, rightfully so; they’re a good fucking band).

Despite all of those comparisons, Trade Wind have the inklings of a sound that is unmistakably becoming theirs. Hopefully, with whatever future music they produce, more experimentation and diversification will only strengthen their sound.

Now, one thing that's immediately telling about this album is the story of love gone awry, and knowing that you’re fucked and that it was your own self that put you there. Not only is it emotionally powerful but it cuts so deep at times, too. The theme of a long-term relationship turning very, very badly is so prevalent with each of the album's eight songs. In 'I Hope That I Don't Wake Up' for instance, the key line of "After everything, I still hope you hate me" is just so fitting and hard-hitting. The same can be said for the brief respite of 'Untitled' and the seemingly too little, too late peace offering that is ‘Ja T’aimerias Toujours', a beautiful, delicate track that ends the album perfectly. With this album, Barnett has laid out a lot on the table about the relationship that stirs the lyrical content that drives this record. That painful heartache, that brutal honesty about something that is often not so black and white is why 'You Make Everything Disappear' is far more potent than what any Suburban sappy, pop-punk/emo band could ever hope to create.

When you back all of that up with the three other immensely talented musicians this band features, you get something very special indeed.

I suppose the only criticism I could level at this record - if I could even call it criticism in this instance -  is that I wish it was longer. Eight songs is plenty, sure, but I just crave more from this band with each new release, like an addict begging for his next fix. But then again...any more songs may have allowed for the possibility of filler tracks to enter the record and I definitely don’t need that kind of negativity in my life. Hell, even 'I Hope That I Don't Wake Up', easily my least favourite song here, is still pretty kickass!

When the weakest song on the album is still this bloody good, you know that the band is doing something right!

Trade Wind may indeed be a far cry from the band members other work, but that's a great thing; as it has yielded a fantastic record and one that ensures that these guys are never pigeonholed. The same talent and hard work that each band member applies to their other respective bands and work is just so evident here. It just goes to show that Trade Wind aren't half-arsing anything, and as such, they may very well be here for the long run. I can only hope so.

Get off Pokémon Go and get this record in your ears.

1. I Hope That I Don’t Wake Up

2. Lowest Form

3. Tatiana (I Miss You So Much)

4. Radio Songs

5. Grey Light

6. Rare

7. Untitled

8. Ja T’aimerias Toujours