Hundred Reasons: All Albums Ranked
Emerging in the explosion of exciting British rock bands in the early 00s, alongside Reuben, Hell Is For Heroes, My Vitriol, Biffy Clyro, InMe and others, Hundred Reasons always stood out for their memorable songs, impassioned, emo-influenced choruses and raw, unpolished sound. They also proved that a comeback album, over 10 years after its predecessor, can be just as potent as a band’s early work. We have ranked their 5 studio albums below, and made this playlist of fan favourites. What do you think? Have your say in the comments!
Hundred Reasons’ 4th record in just 5 years, ‘Quick the Word, Sharp the Action’ is a confusing listen. Sounding more like a demo, it feels rushed and lacks the vicious energy of ‘Kill Your Own’, the passion of ‘Ideas Above Our Station’ and the emotional depth of ‘Shatterproof is Not a Challenge’.
Following the lacklustre, Larry-led opener ‘Break The Glass’, we are treated to the clear standout single ‘No Way Back’, which is a superb pop song with a towering chorus. This was Hundred Reasons at their MySpace-era best and it still stands up 20 years later. Third track ‘Sick Little Masquerade’ is a gem too, starting with a casio keyboard beat and emerging into a huge singalong.
The rest of ‘Quick the Word, Sharp the Action’ is messy and muddled, from the momentum-sapping ‘Pernavas Iela’ to the robotic thrash of ‘The Shredder’ (an experimental b-side at best), to the cringy lyrics and clunky bounce of ‘She is Poison’. There is arguably no bad song on any of the first 3 Hundred Reasons albums - whereas ‘Quick the Word, Sharp the Action’ has several.
‘No Way Back’, ‘Sick Little Masquerade’, ‘Boy’, ‘Opera’, ‘I’ll Never Know’ and ‘Out of Time’ are recent tracks, but the remainder of the album really should have been left on the cutting room floor.
Standout Tracks: ‘No Way Back’, ‘I’ll Never Know’, ‘Sick Little Masquerade’
Hundred Reasons have always been revered by their fans and have never ‘sold out’, which is one of their most endearing qualities. Perhaps this went against them too though, because they were signed to a major label on second album ‘Shatterproof is Not a Challenge’, and the record wasn’t pushed strongly, leading to Hundred Reasons being dropped by SonyBMG in 2004.
The lead single ‘What You Get’ is classic Hundred Reasons, but wasn’t as immediate as ‘I’ll Find You’ or ‘Falter’, and as such it didn’t help much in the promotion of the album, which is solid but a slower burner than the vibrant debut record.
‘Stories With Unhappy Endings’ is by far the heaviest cut here and brings some ferocious urgency to proceedings after the mid-paced opener ‘Savanna’. ‘Truth With Elegance’ has a delicious darkness towards the end of the album. Second single ‘The Great Test’ is a fun, high-energy 2-minute burst. The rest of the record is relatively subdued, showcasing a more mature approach to songwriting, such as the impassioned ‘Still Be Here’, the gentle waltz of ‘My Sympathy’, and elegaic closer ‘Makeshift’. In fact, ‘Shatterproof is Not a Challenge’ has some similarities to Ash’s ‘Nu-Clear Sounds’ - a second record which was deeper than the debut, with a darker tone, lower bpm and more reflective, resigned mood. A very engrossing listen, but sadly the end of Hundred Reasons’ short-lived major label era.
We have included a b-side in our playlist - ‘Don’t Forget’, from the ‘What You Get’ single. It is an absolute gem that is well worth discovering.
Standout Tracks: ‘Stories With Unhappy Endings’, ‘What You Get’, ‘Truth With Elegance’
No-one saw this coming. After an extended break, during which the band members pursued ‘proper’ jobs (including Larry Hibbitt being a notable record producer, and Colin Doran being General Manager of Notting Hill Academy of Music), Hundred Reasons emerged from nowhere with the single ‘Glorious Sunset’, and an announcement of a new album with the same title. Whether things continue beyond this or not, the boys can be rightly proud of the record, a collection of 10 songs that are every bit as vital as their early work.
Compared to ‘Ideas Above Our Station’, ‘Glorious Sunset’ is more polished, less ragged, and not as heavy. But really, with songs as good as ‘It Suits You’, ‘Wave Form’, ‘New Glasses’ and ‘So So Soon’, who cares. The songwriting is exquisite throughout, especially on the magnificent, life-affirming ‘Replicate’ which has echoes of ‘Falter’ and is an absolute spine-tingler. Had a song like this appeared on ‘Shatterproof is Not a Challenge’, would it have been a hit, and what might have this meant to Hundred Reasons earlier in their career? In any case, ‘Glorious Sunset’ was an unexpected but very welcome treat.
Standout tracks: ‘Replicate’, ‘Wave Form’, ‘Done’
Following the somewhat lukewarm response to ‘Shatterproof is Not a Challenge’, and being dropped from SonyBMG, ‘Kill Your Own’ was a clear statement of intent, and Hundred Reasons’ way of saying “We may never be the biggest band on the planet, so we’re going to do things OUR way”. It is heavier, leaner, darker and more direct than the first 2 records, with more of a metallic sheen that echoes the alluring violence of the album cover. ‘Live Fast, Die Ugly’ is arguably Hundred Reasons’ heaviest, nastiest ever song, and ‘A Better Way?’ is a full-on screamo fest.
Opener ‘Broken Hands’ takes no prisoners and is quickly followed by the urgent title track. ‘Feed The Fire’ has an awesome guitar lead, bringing the song into a high-energy chorus where Colin Doran is able to let rip the same way he did on the ‘Ideas Above Our Station’ debut. Best of the bunch is the tense, dramatic ‘No Pretending’, appearing towards the end of the record and leaving a powerful impression that is both empowering and unsettling.
It isn’t all heaviness though. ‘Destroy’ and ‘The Perfect Gift’ are upbeat tunes that could even be pop-punk anthems if covered by New Found Glory or MxPX. ‘Breathe Again’ is a triumphant closer full of twists and turns, and ending with church organs and arpeggiated synths. An often-overlooked gem of a record.
Standout Tracks: ‘No Pretending’, ‘Kill Your Own’, ‘Feed The Fire’
It is almost embarrasing to have so many great songs on a debut album, and for there to still be space for a few underrated deep cuts amongst the more immediate classics.
Sonically, Hundred Reasons had some similarities to their peers who emerged at the same time (Reuben, Biffy Clyro, Hell Is For Heroes etc), though the messier sound in the guitars was arguably more rooted in American emo of the time (Taking Back Sunday etc) and underground hardcore innovators such as Quicksand, At The Drive-In and Fugazi.
What set Hundred Reasons apart was their knack for balancing a raucous, messy delivery with incredible songwriting and inventive, memorable melodies. Colin Doran’s voice soars over the top of ‘Answers’ and ‘Drowning’. The short blasts of ‘What Thought Did’, ‘Shine’ and ‘Gone Too Far’ are scrappy, punky pit-starters in the vein of Idlewild’s early work. ‘Oratorio’ is a real grower, with a slower pace and almost prog-rock atmosphere. But the real belters are the singles - ‘If I Could’, ‘Silver’, ‘I’ll Find You’ and ‘Falter’, each of which is full of passion, with every note played as if their lives depended on it.
Ending with the glorious harmonies and enigmatic lyricism of ‘Avalanche’, Hundred Reason’s debut album is an absolute gem, and well-deserving of classic status.
Standout Tracks: ‘I’ll Find You’, ‘Silver’, ‘Falter’
