With hints of Smashing Pumpkins and Alter Bridge, Yesterday Becomes Tomorrow Today (self-released) commences in a cascading shimmer before the opening song is supplemented by a flowing guitar line and an understated chorus, as Paul McKenzie’s honest vocals form a frontline for alt.metal trio, This Year’s Ghost and their current EP.

Elements of grunge, alternative rock and post-rock all fight to make themselves heard across the five tracks and seventeen minute breadth of the release; second track ‘December Sun’ starts with a riffier approach, before opening out in an expansive chorus, while TYG tease a metal side as ‘Carry Us In Blue’ kicks off acerbically, before twisting away and revealing a more thoughtful, if underwhelming, underbelly.

With ‘Silver Tongue’ meandering and a stolid ‘Black Dogs’ leaving the album closing with a yelp rather than a bark, as an introduction to the band Yesterday Becomes Tomorrow Today, is a mixed bag. While it is a deluxe sounding release, with Matt “Slipknot” Hyde performing a slick job twiddling the knobs, and while each moment is well crafted, there is a feeling that it’s all a bit so near, yet so far. Riffs don’t quite snap, McKenzie’s vocals are decent but not exceptional or overtly distinctive, choruses don’t keep the attention, and the hooks, well, don’t always. All in all, while the songs are decent they lack any tangible identity and YBTT is all a bit nice, and all a bit not quite.

6.0/10

STEVE TOVEY

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