Last year I reviewed Darwin & The Dinosaur’s EP “Remus” and, whilst finding it promising, I was a bit underwhelmed. I stated then that I hoped their full-length album A Thousand Ships would change my mind.

And they’ve only gone and done it.

Starting with “Theories”, this album is out to impress right from the off. Everything is bigger and better; the loud parts louder, the quiet parts quieter, the emo parts more emotional. A Thousand Ships is definitely more punk, but there is still a nod to earlier emo and pop punk bands such as Brand New and Rufio, but D&TD have made their sound their own.

The album continues to grow, until it reaches the pinnacle of “Riff Town Population – You”. It’s a great song, showing how much D&TD have improved, and is the best punk song I’ve heard in a long time, blowing comparable bands like PUP and Freeze The Atlantic out of the water. Scattered throughout the album are short instrumental songs. These tend to lead in to other heavier songs, and seem to exacerbate the levels of noise.

I’m thoroughly pleased I got to give D&TD another chance, as A Thousand Ships is a great album, and a fantastic start to 2015.

– Alex Ryan