By Katy Pham
Chance To Fate echoes out familiar emotions, as if the trio behind indie folk band the Olympic Symphonium is capturing our collective moments of self-doubt, loneliness and homesickness and putting them into a single album. Instead of being depressing, it serves as a call to “Seize The Day” — fittingly positioned as the album’s first track. Unfortunately, the whole experience is marred by a forgettable score and lacks the originality of the the band’s last offering, The City Won’t Have Time To Fight.
Acoustic guitar and drums are the dominant instruments in Chance To Fate. That isn’t a problem in itself, but in Chance To Fate it leads to each song sounding similar. The main sound is moody and contemplative, but each track portrays that feeling in the same way, using the same sleepy rhythm. While listening, it’s hard to recognize when “Home” ends and “Weak At The Knees” begins. Beyond some creative intros — “Jasper” and “Predictor” coming to mind — the tracks keep blending together. This is a shame because it undermines the true strength of Chance To Fate: the writing.
Decidedly steering clear of love songs, the lyrics of Chance To Fate focus on heavier themes like religion (“All In Your Head”), family (“Runner Road”) and weakness (“Stronger”). If you’re a fan of hypnotic music that washes over you like good poetry, Chance To Fate is a promising album. If you’re looking for something with more energy and spunk, you may want to skip it. Either way, the Olympic Symphonium has put up a preview of each track on Soundcloud, so it couldn’t hurt to give the band’s minimalist sound a shot.