Avail - Deepwood

Avail are a melodic hardcore punk band from Richmond, Virginia. Their fourth album, Over the James, is one of my favourite albums of this genre.

From the very start, Over the James shows Avail at the peak of their power. The song I am going with is the opening track “Deepwood” which not only displays a more polished version of the band from previous albums, it succinctly melded the band’s disparate influences. While most guitarists in hardcore were caught in an arms race to see who could get the heaviest, crunchiest tone, Banks' guitar cut through with a clean shimmer. When the band kicked into the song’s second verse, they coated it with a healthy smattering of tambourine. While that could have sounded like Avail going soft, the song’s infectious chorus and short, punchy breakdown showed they had found a way to make hardcore feel like roots music.

If you are not aware of their work, then Over The James is a great place to start!