Bands will always break up – it is something that just happens. And yes sometimes a band breaks up too soon. This was the case with Envy on the Coast. They were on the cusp of something great when they decided to part ways. In the aftermath of their demise however NK was born. NK is the brain child of Ryan Hunter who was the singer of Envy on the Coast.
While Envy on the Coast was more of a post-hardcore band, NK is a little harder to pinpoint. Their debut album is all over the place. And that is a good thing. This may help them play with different tours and not get pigeonholed. This is a band that needs to be heard. The one element that is left over from Envy on the Coast is Ryan Hunter’s voice. He has one of the best voices today. It comes across as a mix of Zach De La Rocha from Rage Against the Machine and Brandon Boyd from Incubus. One second he is sounding like a wild man and the next an angel.
The album starts off with the one two punch of “Confessional” and “Kings.” Both are hard hitting tracks with fast guitars and hard drumming. The drumming is courtesy of Billy Rymer who used to play in The Dillinger Escape Plan. They serve their purpose well of getting the listener’s attention right away. The next track “Memo” then comes in soft. This is a track that really showcases Ryan’s voice. On this track it is a little mesmerizing. It’s like the sirens from Greek mythology that use to lure sailors to their death. It just pulls you in. The next few tracks are little more laid back and this works for them. Towards the middle of the album the sound becomes a little jazzier; the time signatures are all over the place. The band then decides to end the album the way they started it, a little fast. Overall this is a good debut album and I look forward to hearing more from them. I hope they last a little longer than Envy on the Coast.
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