Volumes Latest Song, 'On Her Mind', Is Just So Horribly Hit And Miss

Volumes, dudes, what the hell are you doing?

The last time that Volumes were in the news was when screamer Gus Farias went full moron and got into a one-sided Twitter "argument" with former Volumes vocalist, Michael Barr; beef cultivated from Barr's departure from the L.A. band in favour of writing trendy pop music.

Before all of that nonsense, the metalcore band were in the headlines for an actual musical release back in mid-2016 with 'Feels Good' - a decent but ultimately safe track for the group that was essentially a metalcore ballad. That song's key aspect - apart from showing Volumes are still continuing to move far away from their heavier, technical roots - was that it marked their debut song with vocalist Myke Terry, previously of Bury Your Dead fame. Now, Terry has a great pair of lungs on him and his soaring clean vocals really do suit the pop-metal, melodically-driven style that Volumes have taken on lately. Also, let's be real here, he's a fitting replacement for Barr.

But as for this new single, the Issues-sounding hype track 'On Her Mind', which also features US rapper Pouya, I am of two minds about it.

The first is that this is a shallow but groovy metalcore track that I can jam for mindless enjoyment when I want something that's tight, somewhat heavy and got a solid hook to it. But the second opinion I harbour is that this new song is just hot, substance less trash and a sign that the direction Volumes are heading in with their new record, 'Different Animals', is not a good one.

That second thought is the stronger of the two.

[caption id="attachment_1090529" align="alignnone" width="760"] The cover for 'Different Animals'. Yikes.[/caption]

The main issue here is that 'On Her Mind' has no real flow; it's just a mash-up of different sections. Of course, when you break any song down, it is just that - sections. But the key difference is that the good bands out there who write good songs make it comprehensive, ensuring that the composition naturally flows between each individual section. That's not really the case here. Of course, by themselves, the songs individual parts aren't awful - the first heavy verse, Pouya's first guest part, or anyone of the standout choruses, are all solid. However, on the flipside, the seemingly forced in bridge and Pouya's second guest part (one was enough, mate) really do miss the mark. As a whole, 'On Her Mind' just feels really bloody lacklustre, and a far cry in quality from their previous work.

Aside from song structuring, that gimmicky air-raid siren used throughout, and the lame, white-boy-rap lyrics, Farias's screams and harsh vocals do sound and fit nicely here, but goddamnit, Terry just feels so underused. Which is a damn shame! He only gets a few moments to shine and that's in the song's choruses and in one post-chorus section. The sad part here is that he's got the strong range and the voice to re-fill Barr's shoes fully, and I'm surprised that the band isn't running with that in mind. As for "Baby Bone" Pouya, this 21-year-old rapper's flow is indeed solid. I can also see how this track's central idea of "fun times + grooves = profit" works well with a guest rapper, but only one guest part was really needed - not two! Also, Pouya's usual music and lyrical content is, as many will point out, very one-dimensional, which I suppose makes him a perfect addition for this recent output from Volumes.

With all this being said, the 'On Her Mind' music video is a well-shot clip. From a pure directing and filmography standpoint, that is, it's a solid video. It's slick, well-edited and it looks good overall. Those small reverse moments were a really nice touch, too. But I cannot say the same about the actual content of the video, which is just your typical band-plays-at-house-party, where lighthearted shenanigans ensue like randoms singing lyrics at the camera, giving your mates more drinks to help them get turnt, and jumping into pools fully clothed. Fucking hilarious and wild, is it not?

Look, yes, the song's bass tone and the funky playing are very cool and the mix has got plenty of spit and shine to it. Yes. Terry's parts are the best thing about this entire track. And yes, the music video is a really well shot, well-edited piece of work; but those factors just don't cut it overall to make this song 'good'. 'On Her Mind' is like a really bland B-side from Issues' 'Headspace' but Volumes somehow found the song on the cutting room floor, nursed it back to its full mediocre health, and just re-recorded the vocals and brought Pouya in on the damned thing.

After ten plus listens, the one thing I think about when this song is done and dusted is that sweet, sweet chorus and Terry's vocals, but that alone is just not worth it to go through the rest of the song's inconsistency. I sincerely hope that 'Different Animals' has much better songs than this to show for itself because I do really like Volumes and because I'm an optimistic bastard.

'Different Animals' is out June 9th via Fearless Records. Pre-orders, if you even want them, can be found over here. You can purchase 'On Her Mind' here if you fuck with it.