Ron Nord - Becoming

Ron Nord

Becoming
self-released; 2014

3.4 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Ron Nord is a singer/songwriter from Philadelphia, Pa, who recently released his debut album entitled Becoming. The seven songs on the album are nostalgic, emo-inspired tunes which bring to mind bands like Jimmy Eat World and Explosions In The Sky. The songs here could be exchanged for the music from Friday Night Lights and you wouldn’t notice much difference. Nord at his best can create motivational, nostalgic songs that are also quite catchy.

Nord recorded the album at home and it sounds pretty good although there are a couple things that could have been improved. The drums have a bit of a cardboard boxy sound that don’t always cut through the mix. There also isn't enough separation between the bass drum and the bass. Overall I think the sound is slightly above for a DIY but also a couple of degrees short of something you would expect from a professional studio.

The songs themselves are pretty well written and with this release Nord builds a solid foundation, which he can build from. He comes out of the gate with a strong song entitled “Give Up.” The song is powerful when it reaches its climax and proves to be one of the highlights of the album.

From there on out the album has some highs and lows. “Redeemed” had a dance worthy Clash-esque type verse. Unfortunately the chorus goes for epic heights but it doesn't quite get there. His vocals seem strained. “Mark It Through” gets Nord back on track. His vocals sounded much more natural and should be the vocal range he should sing at. “Losing You” is more melancholy and Nord pulls another solid vocal performance here.

Overall, this album is solid but Nord definitely has some room for tweaking in terms of production and delivery. The good outweighs the issues with the album and this is certainly a formidable beginning.

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