Heavens - Patent Pending (Epitaph)
4/5
By: Jacob Dunkley
Finding himself with some time off in between Alkaline Trio releases, Matt Skiba has turned his hand (or more appropriately voice) to something a little different. Heavens is the result of a series of demos Skiba's one time flat mate Josiah Steinbrick created which were then tweaked and given lyrics by the Alkaline Trio man, with a decidedly computerised twist...
So, is Heavens then just an electronica version of the Trio? Well, whilst this is certainly not the intention, sometimes it certainly hints back in the direction of Matt's main project. The chord progressions, lyrics and overall 'feel' on a few of the songs can't escape ALK3. But although this isn't what Heavens as a project was attempting to achieve, nonetheless it genuinely works.
The influences on this record seem to range from bands such as Interpol, She Wants Revenge and Alkaline Trio (perhaps without really trying) to Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, Brian Eno and The Cure. Clearly a lot of though has been put into the songs, each sounding different enough through containing their own unique hooks and parts to an extent that they retain individuality on a record where it would be easy for the tracks to merge into one.
'Patent Pending' is a collection of tracks that have benefited from a great deal of time being spent on them. The songs are both lyrically and musically strong, and although individual moments such as 'Counting' may sound reminiscent of Alkaline Trio, that association shouldn't detract from how good the album is as a stand alone piece of work.
'Another Night' and the track the album takes its name from are probably the strongest songs in an all round sturdy collection, a duo that highlight how good a side project this truly is by being the furthest away from the Alkaline sound that you get on the record. Whether you count yourself a fan of Skiba's 'other' band who we've continually name-checked, or if you fancy picking up something that will soon be regarded as an overlooked gem, many things about 'Patent Pending' are inarguably worth your time.
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