Prior to last October, nobody could have foreseen a full comeback from the hit act Hundred Reasons, let alone it to be accompanied by their first album release in fifteen years. Nonetheless, the day has finally arrived, when the band responsible for some of the big rock hits of the early noughties have released some brand new music. The only big question leaving the fans wondering – has the ship sailed on the band, or are Hundred Reasons back to create more of those hits?

From the moment the Glorious Sunset (SO Recordings) opens, a wave of nostalgia hits you out of nowhere. Vocalist Colin Doran’s voice is on top form as he belts out the chorus of the opening title track, which transports you back to 2001 in less than a minute. “I wish we found a way to love” rings out, while it could seem like a regular heartbreak song about an ex, the opening track almost feels like the band reflecting on the over a decade-long hiatus. It may have been fifteen years since the release of their previous album, but the way Hundred Reasons swing back into action makes it feel as if the band have never been gone at all. Elements of their peers at the time from the likes of Feeder are reflected in their sound, the indie emo-tinged alt-rock is no more present than in the song ‘Replicate’. Beginning as more of a piano ballad, it is Doran’s voice that elevates it to another level, the raw sound from his voice adds an extra level of depth to this piece as the instruments fill in the empty space. 

One thing that Hundred Reasons have always excelled at is their anthemic choruses to get their live crowds to sing along back in unison. ‘So So Soon’ is the pinnacle of that, once again transporting you back in time to the early 2000s days of Reading & Leeds Festivals, the band manages to create a sound that generates nostalgia for twenty years ago, but doesn’t seem pandering or forced. The bright guitar riffs combined with the uplifting drumbeat produces the perfect atmosphere for that mid-afternoon festival slot in the sun with a cold beer in hand. 

It is within the first single released for the album ‘The Old School Way’ that really highlights what a special band Hundred Reasons are. The band walk along the tightrope in creating music that both looks fondly back on their older days whilst also accepting the present day to look into the future of their careers: “But I know this could be the only chance I’m ever gonna to get to make things the best in hope it’s alright”.

It’s lyrics like these that are peppered throughout the album that show the passion the band has for making this music. The quartet are laying themselves open for their audience to know their motivations for coming back, not through a press release or an interview, but in the music itself. 

For so many bands returning from hiatus, the magic is clearly gone, the band are definitely in it for a cheap buck. This could not be further from the truth for this band. Hundred Reasons have shown that they are back to create the same level of quality that they made in their original heyday. Glorious Sunset shows that the band has so much more to give in the world.

Buy the album here:

https://lnk.to/HR-GloriousSunsetAlbum

9 / 10

CHARLIE HILL