Archers and Arrows – Alone Together

They come from a peaceful country and play a mixture of punk and hardcore with some major indie influences, and haven’t got much to do with Dungeons & Dragons. Archers and Arrows come from Switzerland and they’ve got a new record out on the lovely Inhumano label. The title is Alone Together. Though it’s a bit soft, it’s very likable.

In a way that peace of their peaceful country, which the band jokes about in their bio, can be felt through the music which is very clean and very light. They’re the boyschool version of Hot Water Music, the a bit more laid back kind of Bouncing Souls. Think in the line of Title Fight and Tigers Jaw and a lot of gentle indie influences from the more postrock sounding bands and you’ve got this band cornered.

And they are lovable, from the opening sounds of ‘Innocence’, you get drawn into their world of catchy guitar riffs and a melancholic atmosphere that strangely reminds me of the early Foo Fighters stuff. A bit of ’90s emopunk shines through in ‘Numb/Dumb’. The vocals are slightly rough, with strong melodic guitars accompanying them to create that Gaslight Anthem feeling.

There’s something natural and honest to songs like ‘My Own God’ and ‘Sing To The Wind’. It feels untouched by trends and such, bringing a bit of Lawrence Arms raw, unpolished ferocity on ‘Self-Made Man’. Driven guitar sounds are enriched with playfull effects. The vocals seem to come from the heart. ‘Danse Macabre’ does not relate that directly to the classical piece, though does strongly rely on creating the right atmosphere. This makes it a track that not everyone will like, since there’s little punkrock here.

The titletrack picks up the catchy work, though the vocals seem a bit forced rough. ‘Dirty Hands’ continues that with the high note guitar riffing and the light, mellow sound that makes this such a pleasant album to listen to. Though songs as ‘Sing And Play’ and ‘Emergency’ only further demonstrates how well this band does what it does, it leaves you hungry for more power. Archers and Arrows will, if heard, be loved by many I expect.

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