Crooks (UK) – “Are We All The Same Distance Apart?” [Album Review]

There is something in the post-hardcore scene that I describe as “the British sound” and, listening to Are We All The Same Distance Apart the debut album from UK post-hardcore chaps crooks, I can hear buckets of that seeping through every moment of this album.

So, what is the British sound? Well, have a listen to tracks like “Above Me” and “Windy Little Town” and you can hear Crooks execute it perfectly. It’s a raw, straight from the throat emotion that you only get when you listen to British bands. Don’t get me wrong, the American post-hardcore scene has many magic albums and bands and there are some great bands, but when you listen to Crooks frontman Josh Rogers pouring his heart out in songs like “What Might Have Been” there is a certain organic feel about the whole thing. Powerful, heartfelt, emotional, listening to Rogers throwing himself into the album, it’s clear that the whole sound revolves around the frontman. Not that there is anything wrong with the band, far from it, because, whether they’re called upon for a blast of crunchy, jagged riffs or following Rogers lead as he takes the band in a more serene direction, Rogers bandmates deliver the goods in flawless style.

Now I’m not the biggest fan of this genre, neither am I the most knowledgeable but it doesn’t take an expert to appreciate how honest and emotional this record is and, as far as the big-hitters in the UK post-hardcore scene go, there is no reason why Crooks won’t be up there alongside them soon enough.

Track Listing:

01. Above Me
02. What Might Have Been
03. Schone Seele
04. May Be
05. A Few Peaceful Days
06. Dear Reader
07. Are We All the Same Distance Apart
08. Windy Little Town
09. From the Sticks to Bitterness
10. Harmony Falls

Run Time: 35:08
Release Date: 30th October, 2015

Check out the video for ‘A Few Peaceful Days’ here