Another Run

A couple of years ago, I found myself a little disenfranchised with music, and the Houston music scene. I don’t really remember what caused it, but I was burnt out because of something someone in a band had said, and I felt that malaise we all get sometimes. I was eating at Tacos A Go Go when this guy with poofy hair handed me a flyer for his band. I then proceeded to watch him talk to someone else about how much he loved Houston, and how people should go early and hear the openers. That guy, was Bob Lane from Houston’s Another Run, and by himself, the renewed my faith in the Houston music world. Since that time, I’ve watched these guys build a real following, successfully release new material, and even open for some heavy hitting touring acts. This week they’ll drop the follow up to their 2010 album with the “Be Honest” EP, and build your faith as a listener of Houston music. In just six songs, the band grows dramatically as an act while keeping to their roots and finding new ways to create and craft their songs.



From the hard hitting drum opening on the EP’s first song, “I’m Gone,” you should immediately hear a leaner Another Run than you may be used to. The band incorporates a more melodic approach than they have in the past. Multiple guitar tracks accompany Adrian’s vocals that seem to sit atop the instruments like a guiding light. The way in which both Zak and Brian’s guitars glide in and out of the song with ease while still forming a melody alongside Bob’s bass and Estevan’s drums make you quickly realize that the band has come a long way since 2010’s “I’ll Be There.” There’s a ton of effects utilized while the band slows the pace only to pick it up when the chorus hits. The drums hit like you want for any rock song while there’s this melodic guitar track in the background that sticks to you like any great hook should. They really feel like they’re vibing off one another as the song feels like it’s coming from the band reacting to each other’s playing. The band has definitely figured out how to add multiple hooks while utilizing Adrian’s vocals to a point where they’re just as integral to the song as every other instrument. The same could be said about the second song, “Hunt Me Down.” Though I wasn’t a big fan of the distorted vocals, the band incorporates an almost Fishbone kind of element to the track. I say that about the vocals only because Adrian has an interesting range that I’ve always felt like shouldn’t get buried under any form of effect. There’s a soulful funkiness that comes from everywhere from the vocals to the pace set rhymically. It almost comes off like a band who’s just jamming out a tune together where the ante is continually upped from each member. When the song’s chorus comes in, there’s a run down the fretboard that is only multiplied by the head bopping drums in the background.



The psychedelic opening to “Be Honest,” the third track brings forth a spacey affection with a distorted bass track and a quickly timed drum beat. There’s a spacey element that makes the song have that “hitmaker” feel. The dual guitars really seem to stretch their legs on the song, where the rhythm guitar is peppered with this harmonic that’s usually reserved for bands of a different genre. However it works well with the talents of all involved before things slow down while Grammer soulfully drops notes that seem to come from out of left field. When the band picks up the pace afterwards, things quickly turn into a spaced out jam that grabs ahold of your ears with multiple drum fills and a tripped out solo. There’s a yin and yang to the song where you can really notice what a band that’s been together a long time can bring to a song. There’s definitely a chemistry that doesn’t always exist between newer acts. The band uses the slower elements to commence the fourth song, “Alive & Well.” The track is more than a ballad, but more of Another Run going somewhere they’ve never really attempted before. None of that is bad, it’s just different where the vocals create a building tension that gets topped off with the drums and the bass forming a peak that gets quicker and quicker with each note. This is closed off with a mix of quick guitar underneath a song with a slower stride that results in a concept that takes the band to a new place.



The older feeling that the band brought forth from previous works comes through loud and clear on the harder edged fifth track, “Just Pretend.” That almost Rage Against The Machine meets Mars Volta sentiment that was found on the band’s previous album is all over this song. There’s definitely an added ingredient when the band draws on dual vocals while keeping things harder and quicker than some of the previous tracks. There’s definitely an energy from the past that’s met with this new use of crafted tone and finer songwriting. Possibly the finer tracks in that it uses some of the more intricate guitar work coupled with a speed that never slows down. The biggest difference within the entire six songs on the EP comes on the final track, “Knock Me Out.” Because I can’t really find the words, Grammer beautifully channels the vocal styles of Adam Levine and Justin Timberlake on the falsetto and dual vocals that accompany chimes, a drum machine like beat, and acoustic guitar. It really takes you to a new place that you didn’t realize resided inside the band, and the song could easily be a radio hit with its almost Usher type of approach and delivery. It’s seriously a place that most bands fear to tread on a release because it’s so far from what they might be known for. However, here it’s really amazing, and just showcases the talents of the band as a whole.



When the six songs come to their end, you’re left with a band that’s transitioning to that rightful next level of songwriting. The way they craft these songs proves that they’re moving on to a place that successful bands like Blue October and Mutemath reached when given the time to grow, You feel like at any given point, Another Run could reach heights larger than Houston, and take their rightful place with bands who utilize the same higher level of songwriting and craftsmanship. - Free Press Houston

Another Run uniquely merges indie rock with soulful melodies, catchy enough to make pop artists jealous. The band has managed to carve a spot for themselves in the Houston music scene, owing much to their renowned live performances. With plenty of new material from an upcoming album, they are not an act be missed. - Houston Press

For more than a decade now, Houston perennial Another Run has made the kind of music that's distinctive because it's difficult to pinpoint. It's electric, poppy and usually upbeat, and pairs nicely with their unconventional vocals and a few ear-perking harmonies. Latest LP I'll Be There came along in 2010. MATTHEW KEEVER



WINNERS OF THE 2012
HOUSTON PRESS MUSIC AWARD
FOR BEST MODERN ROCK!
- Houston Press

The recent HPMA winners for Best Modern/Alternative Rock turned in Saturday's most energetic performance, even though it was during the early afternoon. The five-piece band worked the small crowd into a sweat even in the air-conditioned comfort of Warehouse Live, highlighted by their mustached mad man of a bassist, Bob Lane.

His bushy reddish hair and impressive handlebar mustache bounced all over the indoor stage of Warehouse Live's Ballroom. Adrian Grammar's vocals were crisp and Zak Weather's guitar solos were played with perfect passion; it's just a shame that the weather prevented more people from seeing them. JACK GORMAN - Houston Press

It’s refreshing when a rock band isn’t afraid to mellow it out, groove a bit, and be emotional. I had heard of Another Run, and before I had a chance to listen to their music, I had this image of them in my head — from hanging out with bassist Bob Lane at Cecil’s — that they were this balls-to-the-wall, brass-knuckle outfit with detuned guitars, metal riffs, and gravelly scream-core vocals. So I was shocked when I popped in their latest album, I’ll Be There, to find these guys are more U2 than Madball.

I’m still in a zone of disbelief as to how they completely shattered my misconceptions. Their seven-track disc is about taking time to let the music breathe and inhabit and then finally move and inspire you, but in a tight commercial package. It’s not a stretch to say that Another Run is soulful, with hints of blues and funk, yet they are still undeniably a rock band..... - Space City Rock