After four studio albums, starting in 2010, Canadian rock band White Lung released their fifth and final album, “Premonition” this month. Originally planned for a 2020 release, the album was pushed back after the pandemic made the first release date impossible. 

Setting the tone for the album is Premonition’s first song, “Hysteric.” The issues presented in this song carry throughout many of the tracks, starting with the instrumentals. Their mix is off, with the background drowning out the vocals, which makes it next to impossible to distinguish the words being sung. However, even if the words could be heard, the lyrics themselves are weak. A majority of the song repeats, “You see the big prize inside my sad eyes / And it’s more than you’ll know.”

Next on the album, “Date Night,” does a better job ensuring the vocals are heard. The instrumentals are varied, having a punk rock feel, but also having more mellow moments. The melody gives the scream-along quality that makes a good punk rock song. It isn’t entirely original, but it adds unique detail that makes it distinguishable from the rest of the album and other songs.

“Under Glass” has some of the best lyrical content in the album. One of my favorite lines is “Muted water is all I see / All that I know is restrained in my head.” The lyrics mesh with the comparatively tame backing track and the song is mixed well where the instruments are able to shine without overpowering the singing. Furthermore, it steps away from simply being loud to be loud to convey a real sense of feeling. It is the kind of song I wish there was more of in the rest of the album. 

To end their final album, “Winter” is just as generic and lacking as the rest of the album. It is a fitting end as it wraps up the album the same way it starts, boring and predictable. I had hoped that they would offer up their best to leave their listeners off with their best. But after seeing what White Lung is capable of, “Winter” is a big disappointment. 

In the end while “Premonition” isn’t a bad album, but it is a big let down. There are a few gems, namely “Under Glass” that helps keep this album from being a disaster, but it is frustrating seeing what the whole album could have been.