Music review: ‘Stories’ by Rains

Some bands just have difficulty taking off, and often there is good reason for that. They might spend 5 years in the pub circuit, occasionally releasing a single or EP. This lack of recognition can be enough to put some musicians off for good. Not Jeff Rains, the singer and songwriter of the post-hardcore band Rains.

Rains is described as being a “band for the people…nothing trendy – something real” but for all their pretensions, their tight, well balanced musical ethic seems to transcend many genres. Subtle use of acoustic guitar and some folk techniques really sets this band aside from many of its competitors. A willingness to adjust style is very important in a band, and Rains does this very well.

The opening to the album is strong and actually quite enjoyable. “Look in My Eyes”, though predictable in its structure and dynamics, is a good vibrant piece of music that accurately reflects the bands intended aesthetic. It seems to showcase more the raw talent of the group than much creative drive, although on the first track of an album, this isn’t always necessary.

“Liar” is one of the highlights. The acappella intro is a testament to Rains’ vocal talent. This song is honestly the best on the album dynamically. The blasting segue into the chorus doesn’t seem to do the song justice, and I feel like they could have been a bit more inventive in choice of transition.

The highlight of this album for me was “American Dream (The Story of David” which combines poignant soft lyrics and tension creating instrumentation. The lyrics really seemed to be an honest reflection of the true heartbreak associated with being a struggling musician. It seems to be the most polished and interesting song on the album. Dynamically it works well, creating just the right mix of forceful and loose.

“Something New” doesn’t evoke anything particularly strong in me, though it ought to, as the last song on the album. Its lack of variation from the central theme of the album is once again uninspiring. It is not as it professes to be, something new at all.

The main problem is that the album starts strong and then just doesn’t change. In fact the lack of dynamic grasp seems to be the main issue in the work. There is little to say for adventurousness in this album, as it is quite the opposite of experimental.

Stories is well summed up in its title, it is dry and uninspired. It has little to show for Rains’ song writing ability although his ability to arrange a good rock track does shine through. The vocal style, though extremely accomplished failed to hold my interest. As for being a band for the people, well they certainly talk the talk but they clearly cannot walk the walk. In short this is a rather average album by what would seem to be a rather average band. 6 out of 10.