Chalk Hands: The Line That Shapes the Coast of Us

It’s been four years since the release of their incredible debut record ‘Don’t Think About Death’ but Brighton screamo outfit Chalk Hands are finally back with their brand new record ‘The Line That Shapes the Coast of Us’ out 27th of March via Dog Knights Productions.

Opening track ‘Ember Lane’s somber intro makes it clear that Chalk Hands are taking their time with this album. Less immediate and in your face than ‘Don’t Think About Death’ every song on ‘The Line That Shapes the Coast of Us’ is beautifully composed with each section given space and time to breathe, allowing the listener to appreciate every interweaving guitar line and pounding drum hit. Speaking of drums, Gary Marsden’s drumming across the whole album is fantastic. There are some incredibly creative beats to be enjoyed notably in lead single ‘Breaking Waves’ and later on in ‘Bite Marks’ which sees Marsden flying around the kit from the off.

Tom Lester and Antoine Mansion are set on shredding their vocal cords with every pained scream and raucous gang vocal. ‘A Comfort You Borrow’ is a particular vocal stand out for me with Tom roaring '“Where do you draw the line? How many times do you have to prove yourself to be wrong?”. Not set resting on the tried and tested sound of their previous release ‘The Line That Shapes the Coast of Us’ see’s Chalk Hands pushing their sonic boundaries. There’s the snarling post hardcore outro of ‘Peregrine’, the ArcTanGent crowd pleasing post rock of ‘A Surefire Way to Disaster’ and the incredibly intimate closer ’Sleep Tapes’ which see’s Chalk Hands entering the world of Lo-fi, setting down the electric guitars and drums in exchange for murmured vocals and chiming acoustic guitars.

‘The Line That Shapes the Coast of Us’ is a beautiful and engrossing album which sees Chalk Hands going from strength to strength and solidifies them as not just one of the UK’s best screamo bands but one of the UK’s best bands period.