Artist: The Forecast
Album: The Forecast
Genre: Indie Folk Rock
Label: Eyeball

After being dropped by Victory Records, Illinois’ The Forecast took a step back from the national spotlight to focus on becoming a better band. Following a couple years without heavy touring and a self released EP comprised mainly of alternate versions and covers, the group signed with the legendary Eyeball Records and began recording their recently released self-titled third full length. Taking the alternative folk elements of in The Shadow of Two Gunman and adding a much more expansive and energetic rock flare to it, the group makes it known their here to stay no matter what comes with this release.

After welcoming us into the record with the simple, yet instantly grabbing “Losers,” The Forecast waste no time by delivering the exceptionally catchy “Illinois” right off the back. Guitarist/Vocalist Dustin Addis takes center stage early on with vocal duties continues throughout to stands out over secondary vocalist Shannon Burns. Where Burns used to take a much more co-lead vocalist position, her bass work has become more intricate and her vocal accompaniment simpler. It does a lot in terms of record continuity, but I would have rather seen the group find a way to evolve the near duel lead vocalist sound of the prior record than get rid of it altogether.

Moving along, “Kisses” encapsulates what I would call the stereotypical sound of a Forecast song. Addis rambles about how distance and the pursuit of dreams has come between people who would normally lead simple lives, but delivers the tale with a lining of hope and determination that makes everything feel so honest and naked that one can’t turn away. It’s an experiment in the average in terms of sound for the group, but works quite well. Likewise, “If I’m Not Mistaken” takes cues from previous Forecast classics like “West Coast,” but with more energy and a bigger hook [which is nothing to complain about].

Honestly, it’s not really until “Heads Will Roll” begins that the record truly earns its way. This is the point in the record where The Forecast truly harness the full potential of the newly evolved sound and then use it over the course of the remaining tracks on the album. The songs get more intricate, the guitars louder with catchier riffs, and the drums feel more forceful, but all with the same blue collar honesty that makes The Forecast such an approachable and applauded act. For example, “A Better Man” uses near pop punk chord work and progression to create an anthem for taking control of one’s life and where this sound would normally feel a bit out of place on a Forecast release, the group utilizes their skills with harmonizing and time change to craft the track to fit beautifully onto the record.

This record beckons to music fans by blending more folk elements into the [generally] relaxed rock sound of The Forecast. Instead of taking the seemingly obvious country/folk route with this release, The Forecast pushed their rock sound more than ever [“I’ll Set You Free” or “Double on The Rocks”] while maintaining and evolving the alternative folk side of their songwriting [“Life’s A Garden, Dig It”]. This gives us heart string tapping storytelling blended with foot tapping rock to create a musical buffet of emotion that people won’t be able to get enough of.

Having taken a few years off, The Forecast are set to emerge more solid than ever with their self titled release. Taking the best elements of the previous albums and adding a lot of energy and rock elements, the group has managed to change their sound just enough to keep old listeners chomping at the bit while being more inviting for the masses. With the right marketing, this album could be the break that In The Shadow of Two Gunmen should have been.

Score: 7.5/10
Review written by: James Shotwell

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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