Album Review: 'Currents' by Original Son

Written by: Trev Allen
Editor: Chris Chavez

Disclaimer: The second half of this review is opinion based and my interpretation of a piece of art. I can not say nor assume that how this album resonated with me was the band's intent. I am not a professional journalist and have never tried to provide that for a narrative. With that said, enjoy this piece and strap in. It's going to get weird.

In the mid to late 90s, there was a pocket of music that formed in which the sound was too hard for alternative music, but not hard enough for the punk scene. This was when “Rock Alternative” was born. The bands in this pocket would have albums where they would have screaming vocals in one song and then a melodic acoustic song the next. To some this era of music came and went, but to the real lovers of sound, the ones who are known as lifers, this sweet spot of Rock 'n' Roll music never left us. It courses through our veins sometimes laying dormant until a special album comes along to produce an eruption of melodic joy inside of us. With their debut album Currents, the Los Angeles based band Original Son has awakened that beast in those of us who remember this time.

Throughout the record we hear standout bass playing from Justin Chester, while new drummer Jeff Robinson makes his presence known through not only the new songs, but the re-recorded tunes we are already familiar with. Of course, Johnny Calderwood's songwriting, vocal work, and guitar playing brings it all together, but it's also crucial to mention the sequencing of the tracks adds to the sensation of Currents. Each part of this three piece band works sequentially to have a bigger than life sound. This debut album showcases all of that and so much more.

A simplistic explanation of Currents would be it's an explosion of emotions from start to finish. I think it subconsciously, or maybe consciously, was made as a guide for emotional expression for the older millennials who were never taught how to properly do so. What kicks off with a somber tone in “Castles” will by the end the album gradually deliver us hope in “Hymns For the Underground”. However, it is what is in between the bookends of this record that plays a huge role in what makes this work of art a map for late model millennials trying to deal with their own emotional response. I won't touch on every song, but not talking about the guts of Currents would be deleterious.

“Parasite” is a prime example of expressing frustration in a confrontational manner. Being frustrated and confrontational continues with“Well's Run Dry” featuring Lou Koller of Sick Of It All. You hear the anger of it all in the vocal delivery and by the end of the song your hands will hurt from the fist clenching as it sits with you.

We always talk about the calm before the storm, but what about the calmness afterwards? That's what the title track “Currents” provides. A bit of remorse mixed with a bit sadness and the realization that we are all just trying to do our bests out in a fucked up world. “The Avenues,” which may be my favorite track, is the processing and acceptance of everything felt prior. The song is sincere and courageous and is the climactic point of the album. From here until the end of the album, we are shown examples of love, compassion, and strength. Currents is a great example of how we can come from a place of fear and frustration, and through acceptance of not just others but of our own emotions, we can have hope for a better future and a better self.