Sent By Ravens - Mean What You Say

Our Graceful Words was not my favorite record. There are some songs that I really like on the record and some good songs that showed that Sent By Ravens could be a great band. But the record seemed to lack clarity. The songs didn’t flow and each song wasn’t strong enough on it’s own to make flow a non-factor. The potential was there but there was no wow factor.

Mean What You Say has that wow factor. Prudence comes blazing in and grabs your attention and then hits you with a punk style chorus. Listen and Rebuild, Release have huge guitars on the chorus that compliment the hooks. It’s hard not to notice how huge the record is. It’s socially more interesting than the band’s debut. Learn From the Night takes things down a notch, but just slightly. The songs play more like a song from Our Graceful Words but the energy is more evident.

Mean What You Say record isn’t just sonically impressive and loud. Yes, Sent By Ravens have given us a great rock record but it’s a memorable record. Each hook is just as catchy as the last. Never Be Enough and Best In Me help showcase the band’s diversity (a little). Never Be Enough is a great piano ballad and Best In Me plays like a great early 2000’s radio rock ballad.

Sent By Ravens sophomore record is a huge improvement and shows tons of growth. From the first time you push play to, to the time you hit stop, Mean What You Say is a compelling album and great listen. Every song is solid. And at 10 tracks, 32 minutes long, Sent By Ravens doesn’t waste time with filler or super long songs that lose the listener. Mean What You Say will for sure be in the running for one of the best albums of 2012.