SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: HEADSTONES – BURN ALL THE SHIPS

HEADSTONES
BURN ALL THE SHIPS
DINE ALONE RECORDS

Returning with their 11th studio album, following 2022’s Flight Risk, Canadian rock icons Headstones are making waves with their Dine Alone Records debut. Burn All The Ships sees the band firing on all cylinders over nine songs which include collaborations with Metric’s Emily Haines and Alexisonfire and City And Colour’s Dallas Green.

“Put That Car In Drive” is an arresting number and a unique choice for an opening track. The song is driven by light drums, palm-muted chords, and Hugh Dillon’s gravelly voice. As the song develops, it grows with each passage, making for a stunningly cinematic delivery, denoting a greater level of intention behind the track listing of Burn All The Ships. Its pensive approach pairs well with the driving, punk-fuelled rock of the following song, “Decades,” effectively setting the tone for the rest of the record.

Burn All The Ships captures a range of emotions and musical tones. The versatility in both the songwriting and performance from the band should be commended, especially when considering how the conviction dedicated to softer tracks matches that of the album’s harder tracks. Truly, there isn’t a moment of weakness across this album, from the meter shifting and relentless pulse of “Details” to the reverb-drenched sway of “Unnatural Causes,” Burn All The Ships is full of highlights. Of the collaborative tracks, you can hear Metric’s Haines share lead vocals with Dillon on the punk banger that is “An Effort To Forget” while Green provides lush harmonies, unlike anything you’ve heard on a Headstones track, and a stirring bridge on “Navigate.”

For their 11th outing, Headstones continue to prove their worth as both high octane rockers and reflective songwriters. Burn All The Ships sees the band double down on this with exciting collaborations, cinematic storytelling, and bombastic rock ‘n’ roll, as Headstones carve out yet another era into their incredible career.

SPILL FEATURE: YOU GOTTA DO IT FOR YOURSELF – A CONVERSATION WITH HEADSTONES’ HUGH DILLON

Artist Links