Album Review: Crying - Beyond the Fleeting Gales
By Sam Tornow, Editorial Director
[Run For Cover; 2016]
Rating: 8/10
Key Tracks: “There Was a Door,” “Origin,” “Revive”
Crying’s unforeseen rise into the chip-tune genre was as strange as it was short-lived. After only one double-EP, the New York-based band has given their, at times, messy sound a complete overhaul. The result is a propulsion in style and maturity: the result is Beyond The Fleeting Gales.
Leading up the release of Beyond The Fleeting Gales, Crying released several statements hinting at a refurbished and complex new sound. They cited bands like Van Halen and Dream Theater as influences, which is a chin-scratching departure from their past Anamanaguchi/punk blend.
Thankfully, they weren’t making these click-bait worthy statements for attention. The album is full of moving parts and genre-crossing styles. The most evident of such is the overarching sound, reminiscent of the synth movement during the 80s, which has history as proven, is a tough sound to pull off. However, Beyond The Fleeting Gales seems to draw a closer comparison to Van Halen’s groundbreaking 1985, rather than a downfall such as Rush’s Power Windows.
For long-time fans of Crying, the tightened sound will be apparent almost instantly. All the glitchy, in-your-face synths have been refined and are much cleaner. In fact, they are scaled way back. Still, there are moments, particularly in “Premonitory Dream” and “Origin,” where the synths make a comeback, but they provide an atmospheric sound as opposed to a blanketed one. But by no means is the album drowning in 8-bit.
Taking the place of the Gameboy-synths, the guitar-work on Beyond The Fleeting Gales is absolutely tremendous. A unique balance of power chords and runs keeps songs from sounding too repetitive. Even the more cheesy gimmicks in songs, like the appearance of a turntable on “There Was a Door,” or the glam-rock chords in “Revive” and “Patriot,” manage to come off as playful rather than trashy or cringe-worthy.
Plain and simple, the album is just fun. There’s a certain “13-year-old dancing in their room” vibe going on throughout its entirety. And on a label that produces mainly teary-eyed emo bands (which are mostly fantastic), it’s refreshing. Beyond The Fleeting Gales is sure to lose fans of the band and gain plenty of new ones. Regardless, it’s a humongous step in the right direction for Crying.
