Lonely The Brave - What We Do To Feel

Four albums strong and with this their second with Jack ‘Grumble Bee’ Bennett on lead vocal duty, What We Do To Feel lays down a marker for the band, a new beginning with a nod to the past and a shining light to the future.

Almost a decade since 2014’s breakout success album The Day’s War, Lonely The Brave have produced a thought provoking, driven and inspired album.

Opening track ‘Long way’ launches into the stratosphere with the promise of a new day scorched by the sunshine. It’s driven, heavy, melodic and beautiful. ‘The Lens’ follows and continues that theme, sweeping melodies that make the heart soar and the vocals sore.

What We Do To Feel is an album with depth, drama and pushes the boundaries to what the band has done before. On ‘Our Sketch Out’ there are some wonderful orchestral moments that just reach into your soul. ‘Victim’ drives through your veins with some of the most powerful drumming I’ve heard in a very long time.

‘Colour Me Sad’ has more sweeping emotions with heartfelt strings dancing along with Jack’s incredible vocals. It’s a new, refreshing sound for the band and for me it totally works. It’s mature but still has that grounding, rocking sound that they are known for. It moves toward with reason.

‘Eventide’ rolls in and has a lovely atmosphere, it breaks like waves across the harbour, it grows, growls and gains momentum as it builds and then fades into ‘Unseen’ which opens with an intro that reminds me of Linkin Park and R.E.M at the same time.

Closing the album is The Bear’ a brooding, emotional and bold song, it is music for your soul that lifts the mood despite having dark undertones. Every instrument works and serves the song, it’s almost a medley of what Lonely The Brave are best at. Simply wonderful.

For a band that has seen its original singer and lyricist move on and then release an album slap bang at the start of a global pandemic, Lonely The Brave have certainly had some downs as we as ups. But from here on in the future is only going to be bright. What We Do To Feel is listen to this record and rejoice, for after all, feeling is what we all have in common.

10/10