Grayscale, Nella Vita
Fearless Records

Grayscale are breaking away from their monochrome band name with new single In Violet, but they’re certainly not breaking away from their aptitude for writing pop-punk bangers tht are as emotional as they are danceable.

In Violet kicks off with a cinematic rock feel before crashing into a chorus that you can easily imagine being screamed around gig venues. The melancholy guitar line that underpins the whole song sets the tone for the track, keeping it simple but effective. There are a couple of moments when the drop you’re anticipating doesn’t quite satisfy, but In Violet definitely still has the potential to go off live.

Prior release Painkiller Weather has the same melancholy feel but with a few more doses of emotion – the highly confessional, at moments harrowing, lyrics are jarringly juxtaposed against singalong hooks that could easily be mistaken for a much cheerier song. In PW and IV both, Grayscale make clear their ability to handle challenging subjects deftly and interestingly.

Two new singles? That must mean an album is coming – yes, the Philadelphia five-piece have announced that their sophomore release Nella Vita will be out in September, and it’s set to be a worthy follow up to Adornment. Nella Vita, meaning ‘in life’, is described as “chronicling life, its many facets and its many complications”. It’s a bold statement, but one that we have absolute faith that Grayscale will do justice to.

Nella Vita is out September 6th via Fearless Records.