December 19th, 2012 
Adrian Garza 
Artist: Sail To North
Album: Pictures From Youth
Label: Unsigned
Genre: Pop Punk / Hardcore
Originally, I was a little hesitant to listen to a French pop punk band. I mean, nothing against the country at all, it’s just that bands like Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! sort of give people a bad misconception of what that country has to offer in the realm of pop punk. But after giving Sail To North‘s Pictures From Youth a few spins, I can safely say that this six-piece is not just another forgettable pop punk meets Rise-core band.
Starting off the full length, there’s the track “Echoes From Earth” that while it’s a well-written track in its own right, it is so cluttered with what initially feels like a mismatched mix between the band’s gang vocals and vocalist Clément Zaetta’s opening lines. He’s so drowned out by the rest of the band at the beginning of the song that it almost sounds like he’s singing in French when he’s actually singing in English. It doesn’t take long to get into the swing of understanding what’s being sung, but the fact of the matter is that it takes some effort at the beginning of the EP to the point that casual listeners might end up passing the entire album up.
Like many of their counterparts within the genre, Sail To North labels themselves as a pop punk / hardcore band. Amazingly enough, this isn’t achieved in any awful or unappealing way. You’d have to actually try to find a breakdown or death growl amongst the fast, hyper-melodic, and catchy passages within Pictures From Youth‘s songs. There’s a definite flow to the album, and “Odds And Ends” really meshes in as a suitable closer that sums up all of the general feelings that are conveyed in the album, which include moving on in life while in search of comfort.
With all things considered, there really aren’t any songs on this album that stick out sonically or even lyrically. But for what it’s worth, it is written and performed well. It’s all good, but not great. Sadly enough, unless if Sail To North steps their game up for their next release, they will likely be lost in the shuffle compared to all of the other bands in their scene that are too putting forth an effort to stick out. Save for some of the opening and closing tracks (“Echoes From Earth”, “Three Chasing Words”, “My Empty Home”, and “Odds And Ends”), I would personally say that the record isn’t worth the purchase of the complete album, just the standout songs.
Score: 6.75/10
Review by: Adrian Garza (Twitter)
- Substances, death, and purpose fueled Culture Abuse for their most imaginative release yet - April 15, 2016
- UTG PREMIERE: The Go Ahead – “Closer” (Nine Inch Nails Cover) - April 6, 2016
- UTG’s 31 Days Of Halloween: ‘Rubber’ - October 21, 2015
Posted in 
Tags: 