N4November had me reeling in nostalgia from the word go. Alex, the group’s lead singer, guitarist, and principle songwriter has a voice that sounds straight out of the heyday of emo rock from the naughties. The Sydney based project is an emotional ride that’s bound to rouse up feelings of angst, sadness, and anxiety all at once. But, what’s most impressive isn’t just what can be tapered down to similarities with other groups, but the sheer dexterous quality behind each arrangement, each melody, and each piece of song writing on this record. Every song feels fresh, they feel addictive and exciting in their own right.
It’s not often you hit a song like ‘Dear Friend,’ as an opener. The rousing and heart aching piece is bound to be a gut punch to your deepest emotional lockers. It stirs you, moves you, and breaks you down bit by bit as it progresses. Each time he hits and sings that titular line, you find yourself sinking further and further. Song like ‘Constant Reminder’ showcase N4November’s ability to pen these immense and anthemic epics that just scale into moments of grandiosity and larger than life stadium rock energy. ‘Half of Mine’ feels more measured, more mellow, and more emotionally draining than the rest, the kind of soppy yet necessary piece that eats away at loves lost. It’s perhaps in the album’s closer, it’s titular piece that N4November saves his best piece of song writing and production so far. ‘A World of So Much Hate’ builds like a progressive tune, it has its highs, its lows, its moments of sombreness and melancholy, and yet carrying this certain undying hopefulness that just stems from a sheer drive of togetherness where you feel listened to as Alex himself is regaling his own troubles.
A sublime and exemplary piece of emotional alternative rock that showcases an artist whose talented far beyond his years. ‘Dear Friend,’ might go down as one of the best rock openers of the year.