Release Date: 10 April 2026
Song Count: 12
Duration: 41 minutes, 27 seconds
Rating: 6.2/10
Description:
Song Count: 12
Duration: 41 minutes, 27 seconds
Rating: 6.2/10
Description:
Okay, was the 10th another mass release day I just missed once again?
Rocking out once more within a shorter time frame, alternative rock band Culture Wars from Austin are here with their newest full-length dive, Don't Speak. The five-man group, in spite of having been in the scene for a decade now, has only recently started seeing their hard work paying off in some form and gaining recognition amongst listeners. Now with this album, a series of sonical journeys and moments of reflection on one's life and self are presented in the form of a dozen approachable sounding rock tracks.
The classic rock instruments of bass, drums and guitars generally provide an upbeat sound to the music within the record, showcasing some degree of flexibility with their playing style during songs that are quieter and more reflective in nature, but otherwise staying relatively consistent. Atop these, frontman Alex Dugan's youthful vocals cleanly sing of struggles with interpersonal relationships, inner thoughts and the place one holds in the world. The composition feels groove-driven yet simultaneously smoothed out, making for a widely appealing pop-rock style sound that is present for the entire 41 minutes.
With glimpses of interesting ideas shining though on occasion through the likes of the tracks on Don't Speak that have gained the most traction, mainly "Typical Ways" and "Heaven", there is a general sense that the group behind them has more than enough capability to strive towards the goal of making outstanding rock music. On the other hand, these moments make up a minority within this otherwise still pleasant but ultimately unremarkable line-up of songs that blend into each other and become difficult to pick out, which is the primary thing holding the album back. By amping up the amount of dynamic sounds represented in the tunes like Culture Wars attempted to do with some of them here, the relistenability and impact of their work is sure to be felt much harder going forward, and as shown by them, these guys are more than able to do so. For now, though, this one's not going to stick in one's mind for long, at least not for yours truly.