I’ve listened to all sorts of songs about “great escapes,” from We Are Scientist’s to Boys Like Girls (I know, that’s something I probably shouldn’t have admitted). Between them both, their high-energy sounds articulate that adrenaline that surges through the body during fight-or-flight response; there is an immediacy to flee from the troubles of monotonous routines and thoughts. But yet, when I turned the volume up on The Commuters debut album, Rescue, it was like an old friend sat me down in desperation, dropped to their knees, and pleaded with wet eyes asking me to help them disappear from people’s timelines to “feel more alive.” Ironically, time slowed, and I had the opportunity to pack my thoughts and run properly, leaving only what I wanted to behind.
While “Great Escape” isn’t the latest single off the album, I also didn’t listen to this record in a linear fashion. I found it more emotionally stimulating to shuffle the songs, allowing a different narrative to pan out each round. That’s the beauty of this record: you have yourself convinced that you’ve heard a track enough to know how much it is going to hurt on impact, but the collision is never the same; you can be murdered and resurrected by the same instrument.
The Commuters have captivated the essence of personal experience. With a band from New York, I expected the sounds of the city. However, what I heard, were the tales of those individuals who bustle through crowds, quietly searching their minds, reflecting on the relationships of the people around them. “Hope to Be” and “You’ll Stay Right Here,” are soft rock ballads with compelling lyrics that explore the simple details that plague so many minds.
There are a dash of upbeat tracks – a temporarily release from the more serious slow jams. “As I Make My Way” and “Bombs Away” are comparable to an angel food cake; The Commuters have a way of making the listener feel light and airy without overindulging in the sweetness of false-hope.
Rescue is set to be released on April 17th. But before I take my things and run, I have to say that I have become rather attached to this band, if only because vocalist Zeeshan Zadi’s voice reminds me of Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, but also because I recognize myself in these songs. That is something I will not dare to run from.
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