The Features/ Some Kind Of Salvation

The Features
Some Kind Of Salvation
(Serpents And Snakes)

After finally confirming their long-mooted move to the new Kings of Leon imprint Serpents And Snakes, The Features have got on with reminding us that they still deal in some of the catchiest hooks that the state of Tennessee has to offer.
Some Kind Of Salvation is brimming with rock pop nuggets from start to finish, many of them boasting a more expansive sound than we’re used to hearing from their output.
Repeated appearances of the band’s brass section add some meaty swagger to the soaring choruses from Matthew Pelham and co, as shown by songs like ‘The Drawing Board’ and ‘Wooden Heart’.
Despite them being uncharacteristically low-key in the context of the band, the record’s slower moments like ‘Baby’s Hammer’ and ‘Gates of Hell’ are actually welcome instances of respite in what is an undeniably loud musical voyage.
Pelham’s soul-drenched voice goes some way to making these mini-anthems into believable songs, even if his vocals occasionally get drowned in the mix by the multiple layers of instrumentation at various points along the way.
Not only does this LP show that they’ve come a long way since first catching the attention with ‘Exhibit A’ in the mid-noughties, it also demonstrates The Features’ impressive depth of song-craft, not previously associated with the quartet by anyone outside of their most loyal fanbase. It’s an admirable return to form.