After releasing The Best Has Yet To Come in 2010 and a split EP with Major League earlier on in 2012, Giants At Large are back with a full-length album, Doubt. However, going into your first listen, doubt is one feeling that you should not have. Doubt isn’t extraordinary, but Giants At Large have managed to create a relatively fresh album that’s full of catchy hooks and choruses, and sounds great instrumentally. When the vocalist chimes out “Timebomb ticking, almost ready to blow/I know that any given moment that it’s set to explode” on the first track entitled “Timebomb”, I immediately thought of Brand New. Both instrumentals and vocals (more so the lyrics) reak of Brand New. Next up is “135 Syosset”. “135 Syosset” is a solid song, but it is one of the weakest tracks on the album. The third and fourth tracks, “Villain” and “Doubt”, are two of the strongest on the album. “Villain” starts off extremely upbeat and makes you want to just move around, then it slows down near the midway point. The transition is absolutely flawless and it flows into “Doubt” well. The title track is definitely the strongest, both lyrically and instrumentally. With catchy and relatable lyrics like “It scares me to death ’cause I’m running in place, going nowhere” and “Fictional, barely believable/So, ring the bell/This is me tapping out” it’s easy to find yourself singing along without even meaning to.
Following “Doubt”, “Morning Birds” rings through your ears. This track fails to bring anything new to the table, but the chorus is pretty catchy. The album gets back on the right track with “Devils”, “Stay The Night”, and “Anti Hero”. The first two of the three aforementioned tracks contain good guitar riffs, catchy choruses, and stellar drumming. One of my favourite parts of the entire album is the bridge after the second chorus of “Stay The Night”. The eighth track, “Anti Hero”, is one of the most upbeat songs on the album and a personal favourite on Doubt.
The remainder of the album is great, but there was one part that really impressed me-the instrumental track, “Spaghetti”. Don’t let the goofy name deter you as this is an incredible instrumental track. The leads are spectacular which makes me wonder why they aren’t heard on many other songs.
With several pop punk bands releasing superb albums (I Call Fives, With the Punches, and Such Gold), Giants At Large have a lot to compete with, but they’ve managed to leave a lasting impression on me with Doubt.
Links: Facebook
