The latest taste of music from the post-hardcore trio called Vagrants is a thrilling collection of anthems ready to be absorbed into your ears. The album is entitled Be Consumed, and its fitting because the record surrounds the listener with a massive wall of sound that rarely loses focus. For those unfamiliar with the band, they are comprised of vocalist/guitarist Jose DelRio, drummer Anastasia Hayes, and guitarist Bryce Ballinger, and their sound strays somewhere between the realm of Underoath, Saosin, and Silverstein. The band shared this about their new album, “We are incredibly excited to have Be Consumed out into the world. Being able to pour ourselves into the writing and recording of this record truly served as a ‘life raft’ to get us through these past couple of years. We really feel like this record serves to define where we are right now as a band, and give a glimpse into where we might head next. Our next step is to get back on the road and play these new songs in a live context. We are really looking forward to seeing which of the 12 tracks really translate and connect with people.” Armed with a plethora of breakneck hooks and meaningful lyrics, Vagrants are well-equipped for the journey that lays ahead of them.
Kicking things off on the right foot with “You Still Linger,” the frenetic drumming of Hayes pulsates over the intricate guitar riffs courtesy of DelRio and Ballinger. It makes for a great introduction to the direction the band took on this album, and makes the audience want to continue down this path outlined over the 12 songs found on Be Consumed. Things continue down the energetic path with “Day By Day,” a great-sounding anthem about taking things easy in this difficult life, and Vagrants continue to leave interest high in their unique brand of post-hardcore.
”Skin and Bone” is a more reflective song about being human and vulnerable to the weight of all that life can carry. It’s a nice mid-tempo track that swoons to its lofty expectations, mostly in part to DelRio’s impressive vocal range. “Failure” rocks with a more abrasive tone in the same vein as Underoath’s Define the Great Line, and yet still leaves room for a sing-a-long chorus to avoid feeling too bogged down in the screamed verses.
”Aimless” was the lead single to be released from Be Consumed, and it’s easy to see why it would be popular. It features great instrumentation that complement DelRio’s vocals, and drummer Anastasia Hayes remains as captivating as ever with great drum fills and unique time signature changes. Things never take a turn towards the monotonous in the back half of the record with songs like the anthemic “What It Means To Love,” and the blistering “Blind.” “Keepmesafe/Komorebi” brings an abrasive, hard-nosed approach to Vagrants songwriting, and its soaring chorus allows for plenty of thrilling moments to complement their high-energy performance. Closing the set out with the title track is a wise choice, as its tempo shifts and mostly clean vocals allow for the song to rock along to the finish line gracefully.
While Vagrants don’t cover too much new ground in the post-hardcore genre, they do this type of music extremely professionally and purposefully to bring out the raw emotion of each lyric. Be Consumed accomplishes its goal of engulfing the listener into their world, and still leaves plenty of room for optimism for what this band is capable of when they’re firing on all creative cylinders. The familiar sound serves them well, as Vagrants have peaked my curiosity for where they will take their music next.