Rock band Honor By August is one of the better known bands from the DMV. Playing frequent shows at Jammin Java in Vienna and other DC-area venues, a lot of students have already heard of this impressive band. Their most recent album, Four Sides was released on July 9th, and consists of four songs, all with great rhythm and inspiring lyrics.
‘Mad Mission’ is the first song, and a song often played on our radio station. This song is a very relaxing, and catchy song with a repetitive chorus that’s bound to stick in your head. The following song, titled ‘The Way You Move’, is a more emotional love-ballad. While it’s a very moving and beautiful song, I found myself waiting for a more exciting portion of the song. It seemed to go along a little too long for a song so slow and repetitive.
‘Scarecrow’ is the third song on the album, with the instruments in the first couple seconds reminding me heavily of the beginning of a Kings of Leon song. After the unexpected intro this song begins and sounds a little different than the other songs on the album, but this is not a bad thing. There seems to be a little more passion in this song, with the lead singer putting more behind his voice, and effectively showing just how great he can be. The final song is ‘Hey Mamma’, another slower song, but the vocals and the rhythm of the song are perfectly aligned. The passion and message of the song are matched perfectly with the instrumentals and the emphasize behind the vocals.
This album is a moving and extremely satisfying compilation of songs. While there are only four songs, they all have very different messages and different tones. For any local rock or alternative rock fans, these four songs are a must-listen. Keep an ear out for ‘Mad Mission’ and ‘Scarecrow’ on our station!
