“Please do pass on this CD before it’s released,” reads the back of the promo. “After that you can rip it to fuck. We don’t mind.” It’s hard not to have a modicum of respect for such a barefacedly anti-establishment attitude, but post-hardcore power trio Reuben clearly have a belief that any freeloading listeners intent on hearing this, their third LP, will be immediately be converted into fans.
Their faith is not misplaced. In Nothing We Trust is a compelling, sweeping opus, both brutal and beautiful. It’s easy to understand why they have a loyal underground following. At its best, their sound is heavy, intense and fiercely melodic, the kind of music that inspires devotion.
Not only do they pack an eviscerating punch, but Reuben also have the tunes. There’s a grace and a purposefulness to the heavy rock of ‘We’re Going Home In An Ambulance’, ‘A Brief History Of Nearly Everything’ and ‘Three Hail Marys’. It’s not all so emphatic and defiant: there’s a playfulness to the Weezer-esque ‘Deadly Lethal Ninja Assassin’.
It helps that Jamie Lenman’s vocals are so potent and robust. They resonate without ever resorting to high-wire theatrics; even the tender acoustic ballad, ‘Good Luck’, which could easily be cloying, is rendered in impressively emotional style.
Reuben have hit the nail on the head. In Nothing We Trust deserves better than being ripped. It deserves to be hailed.