Aaron Bruno is about to drop his second effort with AWOLNATION (titled RUN), and it’s awesome.

Bruno came onto our radars a number of years ago with his group Under the Influence of Giants, which was kind of a modern-day Bee Gees. Unfortunately that project was short lived, but he resurfaced later as AWOLNATION… a darker, more digital version of his brand of pop music.

Earlier this year we were all treated to the first single from RUN, “Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)”, which demonstrated a more focused mindset and a more confident approach. Well, the new album RUN is exactly what you would hope AWOLNATION would progress to.

It’s hard to explain. This is one of the more unique groups to surface in years, headed by a very talented frontman.

Leading off with the track “Run”, the new album of the same name is a little more reserved than it’s predecessor (2011’s Megalithic Symphony). Pulsing strings and a steady groove until a NIN-esque distorted section blows your ear drums. If your interest isn’t held here, then we can’t help you.

The record slows down to more of a soul/gospel feel in tracks like “Fat Face” and “Headrest for my Soul”. Striking lyrics and sharp songwriting.

For those awaiting something along the lines of “Sail”, you’ll find your solace in tracks like “Jailbreak”, and “I Am” and “Windows”.

And for those looking forward to something more intense, here’s your batch: “Hollow Moon”, “KOOKSEVERYWHERE!!!”, and “Dreamers”.

The songwriting this time around is more progressive and mature, meaning that tracks often take time to build to something that you wouldn’t expect, instead of being more straight forward.

Ultimately, Aaron Bruno has shown us on RUN that his creativity is only just starting to materialize. This new offering flows more like an actual album than Megalithic Symphony did, which is to be expected. However, after giving this a couple of listens, there is a clear sign of a much longer career ahead for Bruno as a frontman and as a songwriter. Can’t wait.

Rating: 8/10

Tracks to check out: “Run”, “Hollow Moon”, “Jailbreak”, “Windows”