Covenant - Northern Light

As we all know, Covenant is fantastic. That being said, I want to share my opinion on the album that got me really into the band. Although I had enjoyed songs such as "Replicant", "Like Tears in Rain", and "Go Film" before, Northern Light is what really put them over the top for me.

 

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[Tracks] - [Time]

1. Monochrome - 5:00

2. Call the Ships to Port - 4:56

3. Bullet - 5:02

4. Invisible & Silent - 4:38

5. Prometheus - 5:40

6. We Stand Alone - 5:29

7. Rising Sun - 6:00

8. Winter Comes - 4:56

9. We Want Revolution - 4:44

10. Scared - 6:59

11. Atlas - 5:15

This is definitely more polished and futurepoppish than earlier releases, such as Dreams of a Cryotank and Europa, which both had more of an older school EBM sound. Still, this album is a beautiful listen, with a constant feel in most songs of running beats that you feel like you're always a step behind and are striving to catch up with. "Monochrome" and "Call the Ships to Port" are both excellent examples of this.

"Monochrome" feels kind of like a warmup track to "Call the Ships to Port". You start out with scratchy noise and what almost sounds like a boat coming in. Then, the song puts you through a dynamic stretching regimen of constant fast bell tolls and lyrics that seem to be intentionally chasing the beat. The opening song here brings you in and warms you up in an incredibly precise manner.

As for "Call the Ships to Port", I'm not quite sure what I can say about it that any fan of futurepop in the past ten years hasn't said about it. I'd be willing to argue with anyone that it's their best song, period, at least through Skyshaper. (I haven't had the chance to get a good listen to Modern Ruin, although it's been out for two years now. So, there could be something on there that might change my mind.) It has everything. Its lyrical content has life lessons. Its beat is absurdly danceable. The melody has beautiful nuances, such as the faded double pings throughout the verses and the slightest hint of texture in the ending singing of the chorus. There are tons of remixes for it. I really don't know what anyone else could ask for.

"Bullet" changes the pace of the album from a feeling of movement and chase to more of a subdued explanation of the subtleties and meanings of time as well as his needs and feelings as a human being. It's definitely different from "Call the Ships to Port", and it's not the kind of thing I'd want to try to dance to at the club, but it's enjoyable listening music. Also, the music video rocks.

If you're more in the mood for something that booms a bit more, although it's a bit chirpy, too, I recommend "We Stand Alone". That song is practically designed for dancing, stompy style. This song doesn't make you feel like you're on a treadmill like "Monochrome" and "Call the Ships to Port", but you feel more juiced up while staying in place. As a matter of fact, the song is about the loneliness of watching the world around him.

This whole album is full of more modern futurepop goodness that you're more used to from Covenant. This feels like where they turned the corner from the harsher EBM, but it's not tinny. I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to get into futurepop.