Almost but not quite music you want to listen to
Deaf Havana have an appealing style, fitting nicely into the niche between heavier bands such as The Blackout and lighter bands of You Me At Six's ilk.
Beautifully harmonised singing is supported with strong beats from drums and bass and tempered with flowing melodies and
driving guitars. However, they apply an interesting contrast to most songs and punctuate them with spoken/screamed words as a secondary lyrical counterpoint.
The not quite scream is harsh and snarled and is the only thing that lets them down. It becomes jarring and unwelcome by the time you reach track 4, 'Nicotine And Alcohol Saved My Life'. It would be much easier on the ears and appealing if it was a more melodic sound and they made it either a true scream or a more lyrical vocal.
'Another Day In This House' brings out the driving guitars and rolling drums that are a trademark of today's posthardcore music, the bulk of the song flowing through the melody and propelling it forwards. Once again, the song is only spoiled by the harsh contrast in the vocals.
Occasionally the spoken screams almost work such as in 'Waves' where the spoken lyrics are the main component of the song and in 'Ice Doesn't Help The Uncoordinated' which attacks your senses with sharp jarring sounds. It's not perfect though, this time it's the smoother lyrics that sound out of place and harm the flow of the song.
It's not all bad news, 'Meet Me Halfway At Least' is an album of tracks that are fine in small doses and there's clearly a lot of talent here. Deaf Havana produce the sort of music that you can see translating well to a live environment with a lot of energy and passion for what they do.