Review Summary: One of rock's best kept secrets.
As a lot of people might tell you, going out of your way to find new and interesting bands that appeal to your tastes can be a struggle. You’ll surf around the internet, looking at recommendation lists and previewing the newest releases. It is much more likely, however, that when you discovered your favorite bands, you just stumbled upon a song of theirs on the radio, heard it in a video, or something of the like. This was certainly the case in my discovery of new Boston alternative rockers Aero. I don’t know how many others have uncovered them in similar fashion, but what I do know is that Aero have struck gold very early into their musical careers and produced potentially the best rock album of 2013 in
Chaos.
Chaos is a tough album to categorize. While there are plenty of moments that trend towards the sound of late 90’s - early 00’s Incubus, Aero keeps their sound fresh, weaving their own mellow twist throughout the album’s twelve-song duration. The root of this mellowness is undoubtedly lead vocalist Nick Cardone. His work behind the microphone on
Chaos can be described as nothing short as masterful; while many rock vocalists can sound same-y or dabble in rock clichés such as consciously making their voice sound “grittier”, Cardone does an excellent job at setting himself apart from the pack. His vocal range reaches all over the map, from the soaring falsetto of “Alien”, the lower, restrained vocals in the verses of the whimsical, entertaining “Wildflower”, and everywhere in between. His presence in the album’s choruses and melodic hooks cannot be understated. Perhaps Cardone’s greatest strength as a vocalist is that he never gets too flashy or selfish in his performance. He knows when to hold back and not involve himself in musical passages where he’s unneeded, and his vocals compliment his bandmates like a hand fits a glove. As for said bandmates, their own work on the album is equally as strong as Cardone’s performance. The guitars and bass loop in and out of the songs brilliantly, whether bringing the distortion and brawn in the riffs of “Hate Me”, “Tongue Tied” and “The Aquatic”, or locking in to a cleaner, more relaxed performance in songs such as first single “Paradigm Shift”, “Missing”, or “Feels Like Rain”. The drums are tight and punchy, never getting too busy for the song while still implementing tasteful fills around every corner.
As for the songs themselves, what Aero have been able to bring to the table in just their first offering is unbelievably impressive. In a world where so many albums are stuck with most of their songs sounding similar or blending into eachother, Aero have churned out a consistent yet ever changing beast where nearly every song is a highlight track. While the songs admittedly have a similar vibe from song to song, there’s enough differentiation between tracks so you’ll never find yourself bored. Most representative of the album’s sound would have to be “Paradigm Shift”, as the song has the riffs, the clean guitar noodling, the full range of Cardone’s vocals, and the light progressive touches sprinkled throughout. “Alien” is a full on prog rock beast that dabbles in electronics and synths looped around an airy, outer space like beat before transforming into a driving, catchy-as-hell rocker at the end. “Tongue Tied” is a roaring, groovy number that features a disjointed, heavy riff and stomping drum and bass grooves throughout. Perhaps no song, however, is as breathtaking as title track and closer “Chaos”, with Cardone putting on a soaring, beautiful vocal performance over soft, clean guitars in the background and later exploding into a majestic, transcendent outro with Cardone crooning “while you’re waiting, I’ll be right here by your side / until we answer all the questions” in a manner almost reminiscent of Coheed and Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez.
As the closing sounds of the ambient outro to “Chaos” exit your eardrums, you may be left wondering the things this band could accomplish. Their following as of right now isn’t very large, but with
Chaos, Aero has established itself as one of rock’s best-kept secrets. While there are absolutely still many anticipated releases for the rest of the year, it’s hard to imagine much being able to match what Aero has churned out here; and on their first attempt at it, no less. “Is this all real or just chaos?”
