I'm a sucker for bands with powerful songwriting at the forefront. Jacob Lawter exploits this through his Slow and Steady project which has the kind of emotive pull that you'd get from the likes of Kevin Divine and Frank Turner -- not stylistically but overall in terms of the open-book nature of his music. In Time We Belong has an indie flair to it but more so, it plays off the nodes of bands like Manchester Orchestra and All Get Out. More specifically, it's very similar in style to their frontmen, Andy Hull and Nathan Hussey respectively, paying a great deal of service to both, not just in how Lawter enunciates his words but in the calibration of music delivered. While they've got a common aesthetic though, Slow and Steady do find a way to peak its head out the sand and shout as to why it deserves separate (and justified) attention.

Lawter channels Hull when he gets grimy in his '90s guitar-driven rock ballads but also tethers himself off to the softer side of the coin with aplomb. It's shown on the dark hum and synth-pop drive of "Disinterested" which is just one of the tracks that you can relate to Hull's "Colly Strings." Then you've got something like "Pendulum" which is one of the rarities where Lawter cuts loose and funnels more aggression a la All Get Out songs like "The Season" and "Balance." I'm shocked this album didn't come out on the Favorite Gentlemen record label to quite honest. That's how aligned the style is when it comes to Slow and Steady. While I'm throwing out so many comparisons, don't think it takes away from the album though. It feels fresh and original where it needs to while paying just homage at the right intervals. It doesn't ape its influences as much as I may let on. Even if it does, I'm a fan of all involved.

That said, everything is much more appreciated because on top of a crisp production, the music's so accessible and feels made for artsy indie films. The sprinkles of violins on so many tracks offer that Danny Boyle effect as well when he's not doing big studio things. There's a creative, artistic feel to Lawter - lush, raw and real - as he spills his diary over what seems to be a highly depressive year but one he's bouncing back from. "From This Side Of Time" is the standout track here as it melodically wraps around soothing guitar chords, lulling before exploding into a huge indie sprawl at the end. When I look back at the sequencing of In Time We Belong, it was a mistake not using this as the closer but nonetheless, I can't complain too much as it tops the filler tracks which I could have done without. When all's said and done, Slow and Steady should definitely be well-received. There are quite a few burners that will leave gaps in your soul but rest assured, the lyrical content on tap does find a way to plug these bullet holes. This record feels like it could have been better condensed into an EP but inevitably, there's a power inside Lawter's words that'll speak volumes for quite some time. Recommended.