Shoreline – To Figure Out
Release Date: 23rd February 2024
Label: Pure Noise Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Punk, Alternative, Indie Rock, Emo.
FFO: Mallory Knox, Teenage Wrist, Thursday.
Review By: Ross Bowie
German punk’s Shoreline are back with their 3rd album To Figure Out, released through Pure Noise Records. The band have been cutting their teeth in Germany’s alt scene and have had big slots supporting bands like Spanish Love Songs and Silverstein. The album has a personal feel with vocalist Hansol Seung describing its subject matter as “Introspective” and singing about his “Cultural identity” as a German-Asian man but plays these themes of fun punk and indie infused riffs.
Needles kicks things off with a fun indie style chord progression but with the attack of a gang of punks who are purposely enticing you in with pretty chords, so they can later slam you over the head. You’re not left waiting around for long as the second track, Darius roars out the gate with harsh vocals and verses going full throttle. With the pace picked up, you can feel the band reach familiar territory and, they know all the right tricks to pull. The blend of clean vocals against Seung’s screams gives the chorus some needed edge and makes even the indie influences sound hard.
The album has a personal streak with tracks like the previously mentioned Needles, but especially Seoul. The latter being a personal tale about identity and heritage. The lyrics “It makes me fucking sick, That I used to feel so insecure about my skin tone. Man, it would turn so brown in the summer south” hitting like a ton of bricks. However, the heavy lyrical content doesn’t weight the album down as it continues to be a joyous, sun kissed experience the whole way through.
The album has a fun energy and does a great job of bringing you along for the ride, its only real missing component is that big sing along moment. There are choruses on the record, but it’s lacking that big shirt-tugging, hands in the air moment that turn casual listeners into die-hard fans. Health is the lead example, as the song feels like it’s constantly edging to that moment, but unfortunately it never arrives. To Figure Out is a compelling offering from Shoreline, marking a significant step forward from 2022’s Growth. The album has such a bright feel while never pulling back on its punches. A lot of other bands would get drowned in the alt-rock and indie production jobs that can often dilute and suck life out of album’s, but Shoreline attack those elements with a DIY punk heart and that allows To Figure Out to get some dirt under its nails.
(3.5 / 5)
