The latest offering from The Precipice comes in the shape of an EP/LP hybrid. How We Burn is a 26-minute rockfest that offers a smorgasbord of styles and colors during its 7-song runtime. Rich and groovy, this album is a rocker for the road trip, the confident stride down the high school hallways, and everything in between.
Hailing from Boston, The Precipice are a 4 piece rock outfit that had its inception in 2017. Their sound prevails on this release as rock, with heavy pop tendencies. The peppy melodies, rich vocal layering, simplistic, easy-to-follow grooves, and general optimism are things that make How We Burn sound equally edgy and sweet.
If How We Burn was a guy, he’d be very easy to befriend. Not just because of it’s generally positive vibes, as a matter of fact it is the opposite, as reading in between the lines of the cheerful music and lyrics, you can see that How We Burn is a mature offering that’s devoid of silly, baseless optimism, and that hidden layer of depth is what makes this a relatable album, easy-going, and grounding
The songs are mainly high-octane, driven, and energetic. The drum parts are usually busy and intricate, with a thick and gratifying bass tone to cement The Precipice’s rhythm section as tight and capable, and their sound as wholesome and rich. Another immediate highlight is the lead guitar, courtesy of Darrell Cellucci. Busy and restless, his parts, whether they be downright solos, or tasty lead lines strewn about the songs, provide the sense with an amazing sense of motion, as well as give the music a distinct character. The songwriter is generally compelling, albeit a little cautious, making for songs that are generally easy to digest and enjoy, but making also for moments that would be easily forgotten as soon as the song ends. Luckily, TJ Brennan almost always steps up to the rescue, with a unique voice and a dominant guttural and nasal delivery that blends the lines between Layne Staley’s ringing high ends and Kurt Kobain’s street-conscious growls, making the vocal deliveries across this album some of its most memorable and unique features.
How We Burn is a mature album full of self-aware lyrics, and amazing musical and vocal performances that made it generally a breeze to sit through for two consecutive listens. The Precipice are capable musicians with a wide palette of colors, and an expansive songwriting toolbox, and their latest album is a great deal of tight-sounding, driving fun.
