Album/EP

Point North - Brand New Vision (Album Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

/10

Aug 19, 2020

7 min read

Point North – Brand New Vision
Released: August 21, 2020

POINT NORTH Lineup

Jon Lundin | Vocals
Andy Hershey | Guitar
Sage Weeber | Drums

POINT NORTH online:

Official Website
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter

Now, I do love me some Cyberpunky, futuristic, spacey artwork, so I am stoked to be revisited by Drax, our purple extraterrestrial friend on the cover of Point North’s latest record, Brand New Vision. Drax was first introduced on the cover of the bands last EP Retrograde and sound wise, this new record also follows in similar alien shaped footprints. After signing to Hopeless Records late last year, Point North have wasted no time to bring us these new and shiny tracks, with 5 out of the 11 songs on the album released already.

The album starts off with title track 'Brand New Vision' and through the feature of DE’WAYNE, it’s clear there will be a mesh of different genres scattered throughout the album. I love that this track is able to keep the pop punk elements afloat, while also experimenting through a hip-hop feature and more RnB sounding components.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMIFlnD2dtg&w=640&h=360]

'Into The Dark' was actually the first song I listened to by Point North due to the feature from Kellin Quinn (Sleeping With Sirens). It didn’t initially tickle my fancy, but after a few plays I couldn’t stop listening to it. This song is the definition of a grower, so give it a chance and I promise you’ll love it too.

'Personal' pulled my attention through a melodramatic violin riff, taking this song to another level. This along with Lundin’s effortless vocal delivery, layered with these warped samples, really make it a huge standout. Tracks 'A Million Pieces' and 'Lethal' are colourful, glossy and follow a more traditional pop punky sound. Although they are enjoyable songs, I didn’t get that feeling of enthusiasm or anticipation to listen to them again. I found them a bit too middle of the road and they just don’t show as much versatility as some of the other tracks on this record.

'Heartbeat' was the first single the band released under their signing announcement to Hopeless Records late last year. Starting off with a heart monitor beeping followed closely by a cheerful guitar hook, crashing drums and autotuned vocals, I did get early Panic! At The Disco vibes from this one. Lyrically this track is one of the best of the album, delving deep into the internal battle of constantly wanting to feel and mean something more.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCrAZliznlQ&w=640&h=360]

'Apologue' I felt was a little underwhelming unfortunately. The pre-chorus gave the impression that it was building up to kick into a super fun, fast paced main chorus but instead, it just kind of falls flat and seems a bit copy and pasted from some of the other tracks. 'Distant' is slower in pace and the snap beat in the background switches the dynamic back to be more on the RnB side of things. Not something I would choose to listen to normally, though it ties in with the general aesthetic of the album, continuing the fluctuations between genres. Thankfully both 'No One’s Listening' and 'Nothing Left To Lose' step straight back into the pop punk shaped box and are saturated with colourful melodies and charm.

'Be The Same' is one of my favourites from the album, with some absolutely HUGE vocals it wraps the album up perfectly, with a big purple ribbon on top. Overall Brand New Vision is a really enjoyable album, and thanks to the constant shift between genres, it will most likely appeal to a large audience. Even though some of the tracks didn’t feel like huge standouts, it’s clear that Point North are not ones to stick to the norm and are keen to push as many musical boundaries as possible. I can’t wait to see what destination Drax and Point North are headed to next.

What do you get when you chuck a spoonful of pop punk, a sprinkle of hip hop and a dash of Post Malone into a blender? You get Brand New Vision. I know it doesn’t sound that appetising, but I promise it’s tasty as hell. Point North have shown a vast amount of versatility within such a tight genre, making Brand New Vision a pretty special album.