Recommended Tracks: “Afterthought,” “Do What You Gotta Do,” “What’s Always Been”
Artists You Might Like: Knox, Nightly, In Color
Nashville trio The Band CAMINO (Jeffery Jordan, Spencer Stewart, and Garrison Burgess) released the second volume of NeverAlways, an 11-song B-side, filling out the NeverAlways world. A continuation of songs, sentiments, and sonics, NeverAlways (Vol. 2) picks up where the first volume left off. The album includes the singles “Afterthought,” “HOLLY!,” and “12:34,” with the final single “Do What You Gotta Do.”
The Band CAMINO’s identity has been built around self-reflection, emotional introspection, and relationship anxiety. Though leaning into glossier production in the alt-rock and alt-pop space, the band holds steady in cementing themselves as their most authentic selves. These songs are built on overthinking, hesitation, and trying to make sense of what keeps falling apart (and how it might fall back together). Here, they boast a newfound confidence while maintaining the original CAMINO DNA: hopelessly romantic and tirelessly overthinking (patent pending).
Immediately establishing a high-energy tone, “HOLLY!” weaves in more punk than the indie rock we might be used to hearing. Compared to the first volume, the production in this song alone is punchier, and the pacing faster.
This pop-punk texture continues into “Mascara,” heard as well in later track “Dancer.” The former references a forever-stained shirt and Exit 92 being too close to home. This highway offramp reference is a longstanding and always appreciated touch of grounded lyricism; Exit 92 is a real exit in Tennessee, dropping the listener right into the passenger seat. We saw touches of pop-punk in their 2023 album The Dark (see “Three Month Hangover”), that have now resurfaced.
“Do What You Gotta Do” (produced by Jordan Schmidt, Andrew Goldstein, and Garrison Burgess) is my clear standout; its percussive and muted strumming recalls the intro to “Underneath My Skin,” a song that went platinum in my bedroom the year it was released.
Taking on anxieties in different forms, Vol. 2 picks up where Vol. 1 left off. That might mean a blossoming relationship (see: “HOLLY!”) or a doomed one (see: “Do What You Gotta Do”).
It shows up in second-guessing self-worth and attempts at personal growth, with the band continuing to find new angles on familiar anxieties. “Mirror Mirror” is a classic self-reflection track, sitting comfortably alongside the band’s earlier work circling the same questions of who you are versus who you’re trying to become.
Vol. 2 also benefits from the time listeners have spent with its predecessor, with the band’s discography now rich enough to reference its own past. We see this in “Afterthought” foreshadowing “12:34,” and “Never And Always” nodding to 2016’s “The Black and White” by name. “What’s Always Been” fades seamlessly into Volume 1’s “Has Just Begun.”
This volume’s biggest weakness, though, lies in its choruses. Throughout the record, The Band CAMINO builds momentum through detailed, fast-moving verses and dynamic production, only for that energy to stall once the chorus arrives. Some hooks linger longer than necessary, favoring repetition over progression. While the approach aligns with the band’s increasing pop-punk influence, these extended choruses often lessen the impact of the sharper, more engaging verses surrounding them. The melodies remain catchy, but the payoff doesn’t always match the buildup.
Even with its shortcomings, NeverAlways (Vol. 2) feels far more substantial than a collection of leftovers or bonus tracks. There is so much to chew on here, as the 11 songs function as a continuation of an unfinished story. CAMINO continues to expand upon the themes and sonic palette established in the first volume. Both volumes work in tandem, forming a cohesive project that is strongest when viewed as a single body of work. For a band whose greatest strength has always been turning uncertainty into something relatable, Vol. 2 offers 11 more reasons to keep listening.
