Abel - Make It Right Review

There's a point midway through opening track "I'll Be Waiting" when it becomes apparent that Poughkeepsie outfit Abel are the sort of band not just capable of surprising you but dead set on it. What it foreshadows is an album in Make It Right which soars and shrinks in a lot of beautiful ways, finding the melodic threads of Thrice and accentuating them to craft a compelling but immediate alt-rock record which sounds just as assured in the soft balladry of "Come Home" as in the siren-like riff of "Fine Lines". Never content to rest on its laurels, it harbours that ever-elusive blend of hooks and energy, one which comes to the fore on lead single "Daughter" in a gorgeous pre-chorus which comes apart at the seams in a shouted refrain, only to morph back into an affecting post-chorus, at which point I start to lose track of the song's structure and just drown in the beautiful guitar tone.

Abel never step anywhere close to the boundary between rock and punk, even when they're at their most chaotic, but this is no criticism; the wordless chants of "A Grief Observed" are insatiably catchy, the entirety of "Fire Walk With Me" another example of the band's poise and confidence, delivering on a mid-tempo drumbeat which often invited mediocrity but here sounds momentous and engaging. Make It Right is the sort of rock album that feels as though it should already be in the absolute mainstream, a dynamic-sounding record easily capable of reaching the back of arenas if it were given the chance. "An Ultimatum" proves so, its dramatic second verse declaration that "it's me or your voice, that's one hell of a choice" a genuine contender for moment of the year, and the song as a whole standing as a microcosm of Abel's song-writing talents. There's real emotion in every chord and word, but it's nothing close to sappy; it takes at least a couple of unexpected twists, but never loses itself; and it just absolute thunders, energetically and dramatically, through a superb hook. It's tough to shake the feeling that there are big things ahead for a band this accomplished....full text Two years since their last album release, Lesser Men which put their name on the map with an aggressive tour to promote the album, Make It Right is an upcoming release which will sure to have you on the edge of your seat until September 18th. Since growing up, their latest album is said to showcase a darker and more pragmatic Abel however with an indie-rock twist, to those who have been a fan since their arrival, will notice the difference. Singer Kevin Kneifel explains “It’s about coming to terms with failures and unfulfilled expectations,” which will explain the slight change in direction for the band.

Their new album is said to be along the lines of Brand New, Thrice and As Cities Burn. Lets see what the fuss is about.

For those of you who have previously read a review of mine will know I hate repetition and lack of variation. There is nothing worse than a band who doesn’t utilise their talents to try new things within song differentiation. Luckily I’m not talking about Abel here, in fact, far from it. I’ll Be Waiting is a great song to open the album with, a song which most bands should have something similar to when opening an album. An epic display of a build up to a powerful chorus which takes charge of the song. It holds many musically talented riffs and overlaying notes which a large variation between the clean and the heavy. Every album opening song should be sharp, variated to showcase the bands talents and punchy, since thats the song the majority of people will first listen to. It’s also nice to hear the singer can write soft melodic lyrics during the verses while still knowing when to pause to hold impact for the instruments. It seems the band knows how to work well together to make something enjoyable to listen to the entire way through the song. Produced by Matt Malpass who has previously produced Manchester Orchestra, Lydia and Copeland, listening to the first song certainly filled my expectations. Hopefully the other 9 tracks will follow suit.

Skipping to track 3, An Ultimatum shows a slightly different style to I’ll Be Waiting. Not that much to say ‘oh, thats surely not Abel‘, but enough to say that it doesn’t hold the dark and pragmatic themes as described. A more rock infused song, An Ultimatum holds lyrics which really cut to the core. To a degree this song must have been created around the lyrics however it still holds the power to play host to enough solo’s overlapping clean chords to embark on that rock essence. The way the vocals develop from slight distorted at the start, to soft verse, to full blown ‘lets break the walls down’ chorus is an excellent way to develop and bring about a solo. This song could even be the album opening, which I would be in favour of since I prefer its style over I’ll Be Waiting. The chorus lyrics, ‘Don’t think I won’t change, I won’t be everything you need me to be’ certainly develops on the song name about the hardness of what relationships are. Typical content, but created in a different way than those overly ambitious punk-pop songs, which works to my delight....full text The new album by Abel entitled “Make It Right” is something that can only be described as delectably good fun. The indie-rock four-piece from New York have been hard at work making this album sound diverse and different from every other band coming out of the US these days, but have they succeeded? You’ll soon find out.

The toe tapping track ‘Fire Walk With Me’ compromises memorable lyrics and anthemic choruses over upbeat and cheerful thump of the drum. The heart-warming love ballads ‘Come Home’ and ‘Comfort And Truth’ are as deep and meaningful as a Shakespeare play, delivering infectiously soothing rhythms throughout. The track ‘Fine Lines’ sounds highlights some of the more indie licks from the guitar but with a grungy edge, a bit like Lostprophets in chinos. Whereas ‘Daughter’ gives off a sort of simple plan crossed Alkaline Trio vibe, two bands you would not normally put together.

Down in a nutshell, the likes of this album really depends on how much you like typical American-pop punk. There are hints of A Day To Remember and All Time Low in the riffs and harmonic vocals, but there is also something a little bit quirky going on underneath. If you’re really into your melodic rock, you’ll fancy a slice out of this cake. But in all honesty, there are a lot of bands like this out there on the market, but that doesn’t mean you should choose the others over this. It is flawlessly put together, and the recording is faultless....full text