This is the debut album from UK alternative rock band Love Is Noise.
Across 47 minutes Love Is Noise take the listener on a journey though emotion, as portrayed by the band’s charismatic blend of alternative rock, shoegaze, nu-metal, indie rock, dream pop. To Live in a Different Way is an interesting record that brings a lot to the table, and fuses it together in ways that hit more than they miss.
The sound of Love Is Noise is anchored in the 90s and 00s, while benefiting from a contemporary presence and influences that bring them firmly into 2025. For easy stylistic refence points, think bands like Deftones, Radiohead, Far, and Glassjaw, while also modern acts like Sugar Horse, Loathe, Holy Fawn, and Slow Crush.
The songs are an interesting combination of old and new, built upon a bedrock of 90s/00s-influenced rock and metal that makes me feel quite nostalgic. Yes, it’s delivered with modern sensibilities, but the heart of the music is old and well-tested. This means that To Live in a Different Way is both familiar and new, making for a record that’s easy to be comfortable with from the start. It has definitely picked up a few tricks in the decades since its spiritual birth though, which is why it’s also certainly a product of the present day.
The vocals are an obvious focal point, and strength, although the rest of the music doesn’t let the side down. Passionate melodies, emotive guitars, and plaintive singing all have their place in the songs. The variety of influences results in a range of different songs, all stylistically linked, but well-differentiated. It’s atmospheric, but also rich in hooks that mostly become apparent over time.
It’s bright and bubbly, but also with a darker undercurrent. It’s both soft and warm, and hard and cold. Sometimes ethereal, sometimes rough and earthy, it’s a compelling and atypical blurring of feelings and themes that draw in a lot of different influences from different pots. From raging nu-metal heaviness to introspective shoegaze fragility, to hypnotic trip hop, to unusual warped groove, there’s more to explore across To Live a Different Way than I was expecting.
If you are in the market for something a little different, yet also achingly familiar, then check out To Live a Different Way. Definitely a recommended listen for fans of the abovementioned acts and styles.
Wonderbox Metal 