I have stopped and started writing this more times than I can admit. I have deleted, deleted, and slammed my laptop shut, then tried again to even start this. How do you even start writing about this record? It’s pretty obvious that Crows have never (and will never) release a bad song or record. The 3 singles from the new record have all been exceptional (I don’t think any song has truly moved me like Vision Of Me has, and I’m sort of able to listen to it now without having a little cry! That’s growth 😉) and sometimes when a band releases such strong singles, you feel the rest of the record may not match up. There is nothing to worry about on Reason Enough. I have no idea how many times I listened to it yesterday, but I didn’t feel ready to put my thoughts down. But I am now.

The record opens with the title track, Reason Enough. If you’re looking for the best opener for a record this year-it’s this one. The drums and the bass? HOLY.SHIT. It’s got this heaviness to it that is on a Stoner Rock level. Jith and Sam truly shine on this one. The drums feel like a crashing into the ear drums and the bass feels like someone is possessing your body with electric shocks, and you’re not mad about it. When it all comes together and gets heavier, and heavier- as a Crows fan, you feel this relief. Relief that this record is FINALLY here. Inject this song right into my eardrums. I don’t care about the damage. James’ vocals on this are simply perfect, and Steve’s guitar on this should be illegal. In fact, it should be a crime for a song to be this euphoric. The way it changes for the last minute or so, and the song comes alive in a different way altogether- are you kidding me?! This live is going to be wild.

I’m going to skip over Bored, Is It Better? and Vision Of Me because I’ve already written about them, and I think my feelings towards Vision Of Me are very clear. In 30 years’, time, I will still be calling it as one of the most beautiful and honest songs ever written. I want it tattooed on my skin and carved into my brain. It’s a reminder. It’s a crutch. Much like Healing and Room 156. I think they’re my holy trinity of Crows songs; I’d play them to someone who hadn’t heard them before, but I don’t think I could handle a negative reaction! Anyway, let’s move on because I will go into why Vision Of Me is probably one of the best songs ever written again!

Land Of The Rose is a perfect anthem declaring how shit this country is. Turn on the news and all you see is pain, poverty and politicians repeating their nonsensical lies. This is why we need bands like Crows. This is why we need music or any form of art- it’s an escape but also helps you to see how awful it all is but can give you a little bit of hope that it might get better. Maybe. The way James writes and sings about shame, despair, and every emotion possible. The lyrics on this record are heavy; but with aspects of sadness flowing throughout. That isn’t a bad thing at all- it just makes you think, and it also makes you feel less alone, and odd for feeling the way you do. The songs on Reason Enough feel a lot more personal and tougher. There is still that beautiful gentleness in James’ writing that we lean into and cling onto. I guess at the heart of it, when you find a band that you truly get and they get you- it becomes a safe space, doesn’t it? This record definitely feels like a safe space. As far as political songs go, this one holds some true weight and given how awful this country has been; we need songs like this to really hammer home that things HAVE to improve.

Every Day Of Every Year is another one I’m excited to see live. I love the way the lyrics take you on a journey of every thought you’ve probably had, and by hearing someone else say it- you feel this connection. It’s a connection you won’t get from friends, lovers, families- it’s one from music and sometimes that’s the biggest and most permanent connection we’ll feel, and that’s absolutely fine. I’d be lost without that type of connection, and this song is a really solid way of expressing that. Every single day this feeling repeats and every single day you fight with yourself and the world to keep fucking going. It’s hard, I know. But I like to think it can and does get a little easier. What do you have without hope? I think this song is on the same level as Vision Of Me- there’s something about the lyrics that really get you in the gut. The guitar on this one is of the best moments on the record.

There’s such a natural growth on this record, and I don’t mean from Silver Tongues to Beware Believers to Reason Enough. I mean every single song in its own right is a step up from the song before, and that’s how you know you’ve found a truly special record. The way we get to Lie To Me from Bored is a whirlwind, and it’s heavenly to hear. You can hear the band grow with every song on this record, and you can really feel it in every single element of the songs. The production on this record is unreal too. It always is with Crows isn’t it. Lie To Me is exceptional, and the way we go right into Living On My Knees? Who gave the band permission to be this great? They just took it. Over and over again. The line, “I’m not strong enough for self defense” cuts through you, my god! What a line!

Living On My Knees is my favourite. Of course, I’ll change my mind in a week or so. I’ll call Vision Of Me as my favourite Crows song ever (please see holy trinity a few paragraphs above!) but Living On My Knees is something else. It makes you want to write; it makes you want to get every raw feeling out there; it makes you want to have this song on repeat for hours. It just gives you something that you can’t put into exact words, but you know you’re listening to something truly remarkable. There are heavy moments on the record, but there are also lighter moments, and it’s found on Silhouettes.

James’ vocals on Silhouettes will blow you away. It’s a different side to what he can do, and I think it’s one that will leave us Crows fans in awe for a long, long time. The bass on this is divine- again, it should be a crime for something to sound so perfect. I feel bad for any band about to release anything after next Friday because Reason Enough is THE record of the year. From around 2 minute 20 on Silhouettes, you cannot help but let every part of you feel smacked about from what’s going on in this song. When James sings, “You don’t find peace when you’re older” my god it gets you in the gut. This song truly shows the growth in the band in every single way, and how they have a distinctive sound BUT you can hear they’ve pushed themselves on this record. Go back and listen to their earlier stuff, then listen to Silhouettes and you’ll hear how stronger they all sound- both together and separately.

Reason Enough ends with D-Gent, and it reminds me of their earlier sound. The record starts heavy and ends heavy, and what more could you ask for?! This record is made up of their best work to date, and the opener and closer of the record are the backbone of it. What happens in the middle is that you get a mixture of soft, loud, gentle, vulnerable, anthemic and healing songs. Every emotion possible is in the middle, and you may feel all over the place but the closer, D-Gent brings you back to where you need to be. Where you should be. This record feels like home.

Record number 3 is THEIR record. Sound-wise it is full of moments that will make you realise why you fell in love with the band at the start. For new listeners, you’ll probably have found a band that will become your life. Crows have completely nailed it with this record, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a fan if I tried. The record is honest, political, brutal, heartbreaking, hopeful and an ethereal work of art. It’s the band at their best and I love so much how they have experimented with their sound and made something really out of this world.

The first few listens, I had to stop what I was doing and really take in the record and what was going on. Then with more and more listens, I was able to really get into what spoke to me on this record. It’s obviously everything, and honestly? The 3 singles we’ve had so far don’t do this record justice. There’s so much creative freedom on this record. Everything is heavier and you can really hear in the songs that not everything has been overthought- it’s just a natural progression, and like James said- “This is Crows in high definition.”