“Losers” by The Century
As Portland quintet The Century continues its climb through the earholes and into our collective brain, it does so with the distinction of being thoroughly, unequivocally rock and roll. Losers, the group’s second official EP, revels in those gritty confines, with its unadulterated beats, stellar vocal melodies, and deft, but powerful guitar work.
Album-opener “Here’s To Nothing” is a bruising, nihilistic foray into fuzzy vocals and shrieking guitars that open up into a tasteful chorus before punching back into distortion. Conversely, “Paradise” displays the true talent that The Century has cultivated with its ability to craft sharp and nuanced tracks with its earwormy melody–the closest thing to a ballad that exists in The Century’s orbit. “Losers” evokes a ‘90s-ish alt-rock feel, which serves as a nice change of pace on the five-track run. “All Night Always” comes through with a nice southern-fried guitar line, providing a nice counterpart to the harder driving tracks preceding it. As with each track on Losers, there are solid, but subtle vocal harmonies that shine through intermittently, adding complementary layers in surprising places.
The Century is a group in the early stages of growth. There is a clear foundation comprised of the strong songwriting and musicianship displayed on both Losers and the earlier Oddfellow, and there are glimpses of sonic possibilities throughout each. Losers is diverse in its sound from track to track, splitting time between escalating riffs and rolling bass lines. The Century surely can look forward to a future of wild possibilities. »
– Charles Trowbridge
