Stoke-on-Trent four-piece release their long-awaited debut LP, Work/Life/Balance, and it lands without a hitch.
Stoke indie stalwarts Camens are all too familiar to Indie Central Music, so much so, that we reviewed them back in 2020… yes, pre-lockdown! I mention the dreaded L-word deliberately, because as Camens’ artistic world came to a screeching halt, a darker and more potent version of the band was born.
Along came singles like Poltergeist (which I loved) and Sleep Patterns Repeating (which I really loved); clearly Camens poured all their lockdown frustrations and pent-up energy into a pair of bristling releases. They had quite the re-emergence.
Whilst those ominous lockdown days are (thank God) in the rear-view mirror, it feels as though Camens haven’t lost their virulent sting they conjured some years back, at least not in their long-awaited debut album, ‘Work/Life/Balance’.
What I love about this album is its focus. Time and time again, artists get lost in the grandeur of their debut LP – it’s all too easy for artists to overreach, collapse under the pressure they place on themselves and lose the essence of what made them great beforehand. Not Camens.
‘Cynical’, then, is a razor focused opener which established many of the album’s core themes. Short and spikey verses, nifty guitar work, vibrant choruses and poignant lyricism.
Poltergeist saunters forward with just as much spirit as when I first heard it as a standalone single. In fact, it hits harder in the context of the album – it sits so nicely between the anthemic opener and irresistible melodies of ‘Lying Won’t Get You Anywhere’.
Another highlight comes courtesy of Confetti & Kalashnikovs. Scott Powell’s whimsical melodies soar as he sings “In love and war, what are we fighting each other for?” Camens’ tracks are emotionally heavy, yet light on their feet.
Honestly, this is an impressive debut. With the longest song clocking in just under 4 minutes, Work / Life / Balance feels like an indie radio anthem masterclass. I went on a long run the other day, and got frustrated when I had to stop and fumble for my phone to play Work / Life / Balance again… Well done, Camens, you left me wanting more, even when I knew it would affect my Strava time!
Camens’ debut album ‘Work / Life / Balance’ is out now, and you can listen to it below.
