From a teen with a guitar on Myspace to a full band with a recording contract, Never Shout Never has recently released a new album, Time Travel.
Never Shout Never’s new album is not what one would expect from Christofer Drew Ingle, lead singer of Never Shout Never, or NSN. The songs on Time Travel are not his usual guitar and ukulele tunes; the album is much more like something one would expect from an electronic-alternative band.
“I think [Time Travel’s] a lot different. It’s more techno-pop to fit into mainstream. I did like it though, it’s really interesting,” Taylor Breiter, sophomore, said.
Songs, such as “Until I Die Alone,” “Robot,” and “Awful”, have a much more electronic feel, rather than the guitar strums Never Shout Never fans are used to. There is an overwhelming amount of instruments: guitar, drums, bass, percussion, and synthetic sounds.
“Time Travel] sounds like nothing [Ingles’] ever done before. Certain songs on the album are better than before, but some are the same. It’s better than his old stuff, but not much better,” Zoe Affinito, freshman, said.
According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Ingle’s inspiration for Time Travel came from his experience in California. In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Ingle said, “I got super into the rave scene, and understood that there’s more to life than pretending to be Bob Dylan. I learned a lot about myself.”
A few songs on the album, like “Time Travel” and “Simplistic Trance-Like Getaway,” still resemble the original Never Shout Never. The songs are fun to sing along to and have interesting ambient breaks.
On the other hand, “Silver Ecstasy,” “Awful,” and “Lost at Sea” sound over-done. There are echoes, too many instruments, and electronic sounds that all come together and create a mix of the Beatles and Queen, which should have been left alone.
Along with a new style, Never Shout Never has also acquired more members. Alongside Ingle, Caleb Denison on guitar, Nathan Ellison on drums, Taylor MacFee on bass, and Hayden Kaiser playing percussion, joined the band.
“It isn’t the same since he added more members. [Ingle] started off on his own, so I think he’s better off like that,” Savannah Bray, sophomore, said.
The new band members have caused mixed feelings about NSN’s upcoming concerts.
“It’s an actual band now, so concerts could be more entertaining, but fans who just love him may walk away,” Affinito said.
Unlike Affinito, Breiter thinks NSN was “better when [Ingle] was by himself because it’s now focused on the whole band, not him.”
Since the sound is different, new people may be attracted, old fans could lose interest, but may find it’s worth it to adjust.
“I would recommend [Time Travel] to people who are really into bands like Owl City that have a dreamy sound,” Affinito said.
An artist changing is inevitable, and NSN has taken a new route in music, heading down electro-pop lane.