Album Review: Grayscale – Nella Vita

Philadelphia quintet Grayscale’s debut album, 2017’s Adornment, was one of the best pop-punk albums released that year. Follow-up Nella Vita – Italian for ‘In Life’ – expands on that good work and finds its creators blossoming into a band with a sound that takes several steps from their pop-punk roots. The youthful abandon of old remains on stylish cuts like Desert Queen and Twilight (My Heaven), but Grayscale have many layers to their music, something evidenced by the funky guitars of Baby Blue and In My Arms, both of which call to mind Paramore’s After Laughter.

Better still, there’s a genuine emotional depth to this record that shines brightest on gorgeous acoustic number Asbury and album highlight In Violet, which finds vocalist Collin Walsh lamenting the inevitable grief that comes with losing a loved one. It all proves that, despite their name, this band’s world isn’t shrouded in grey – it’s one that’s bursting with colour.

Verdict: 4/5