A tough and intense listen for those seeking an instant fix.

Nothing More are a Modern/Alternative Rock quartet formed in San Antonio, Texas in 2003. 'The Stories We Tell Ourselves' is the band's sixth full-length release and is a must for anyone with a penchant for hard-hitting, highly melodic Rock music with a twist. The current Nothing More line-up includes Jonny Hawkins (lead vocals/occasional drums), Mark Vollelunga (guitar), Daniel Oliver (bass) and new boy, since 2015 anyway, Ben Anderson (drums), and I can testify first hand that they are an electric live act. They have toured the UK in support of both Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless in recent years as well as performing as headliners in their own right.

'Stories...' contains eighteen tracks but only twelve could be regarded as "proper" songs. The other six are linking narratives/instrumentals that can be distractive, though anyone familiar with the band will be accustomed to nuances of this type. Musically Nothing More have a distinctly unique sound and it's difficult to make comparisons. The closest I can think of are Red and the most recent Starset album 'Vessels'.

Most of the songs contain high profile percussive elements and programmed sounds complement the big riffs and unconventional rhythms to create an intelligent soundscape for the thoughtful lyrical ideas. Some of the more caustic passages will prove off-putting for those of an AOR bent, and Hawkins is not afraid to delve into his more incendiary bag of vocals tricks to add a dark contrast to the melodic Falsetto light. There is a Progressive edge to the music and the arrangements and song structures veer away from the more traditional verse/chorus/verse/ chorus formula.

Having said that, the melodies and hooks make a big impact with 'Let 'Em Burn', 'Do You Really Want It' and 'Go To War' (featured in the latest trailer for 'War For The Planet Of The Apes') being typical examples. The semi-acoustic 'Just Say When' is underpinned by atmospheric strings and highlights the band's strong creative mantra. I only had a digital copy on which to base this review so have no credits in terms of writing and production, though I'm guessing the album features further collaborations with producer Will Hoffman.

In some respects, 'The Stories We Tell Ourselves' is a tough and intense listen for those seeking an instant fix, but anyone who was a fan of the self-titled 2013 release will be more than happy with how Nothing More have progressed.

Dave Bott