Carla dal Forno - You Know What It's Like

When you get experimental, you're expected to get weird, maybe even creepy. You're supposed to go out of the ordinary and make something distinctly different from what may be expected. That's what Carla dal Forno does in her new album, You Know What It's Like.

dal Forno has provided her talents for many acts in the past, but You Know What It's Like is her first solo effort. On her debut, you'd think she'd want to tackle a more accessible field. That's almost the opposite of what she does - her debut is largely an artful experiment, requiring an open mind to indulge fully in and to understand. It's chocked full of interesting moments, but they're all understated to the extreme (no song has a definitive climax; it's all one machine) and requires active listening. In that way, it makes it a brilliant thing. She found a way to get listeners to not lose any attention.

While clocking in at just below half an hour, the album does make use of its short run time. The creepy wobbles of 'Italian Cinema' open the record, its dinky, curious synths providing the accurate summation of the album's sound to come. You Know What It's Like is full of strange, often times scary sounds that provoke that unsettling feeling in its listener. 'DB Rip' builds slowly with dreamy ambience and choirs, the synths washing over dull shores with ominous choirs backing them as the song slowly builds its atmosphere. 'Dragon Breath' is scary from the start, the low drone of the bass followed by the distorted hum of some machine emulating the quiet horrors of a sleeping dragon. It's all subtlety that makes this album so vivid.

The other side of this album is how it builds. When its not creating disturbing atmosphere, it's creating a thoughtful experience. dal Forno sings in a few tracks, her voice singing almost emptily above slowly chugging instrumentals akin to Chelsea Wolfe. The most clear example is closing track 'The Same Reply', slowly churning with pretty piano and industrial drums. There's also 'What You Gonna Do Now', which is really the most accessible song on the record, and that's saying something because it's still an acquired taste. The song features a simple yet effective bassline that repeats under her deathly vocals, an urgent beat building behind her, the song slowly growing with a sort of restless contempt. It's like a look into a foggy iteration of hell. The slow tortured cries of demons form themselves into swelling synths and UFO noises.

Carla dal Forno doesn't mess around. Her debut is serious and sounds like she's lived a lifetime of torture. It's a horror record, but at the same time finds beauty in its simplicity and pain. It's an odd debut, but it solidifies her position in music. Her solid footing just took a strong step forward - this woman is not afraid.

Favorite Tracks: What You Gonna Do Now, The Same Reply, DB Rip

Least Favorite Track: Italian Cinema

Rating: 80 / 100

Alter Bridge - The Last Hero

Alternative metal's most mainstream heroes are back with another record. Alter Bridge's fifth record The Last Hero attempts to make their sound even bigger and evil while still delivering its relevant political agenda.

The first thing about this record is its message. With the 2016 election dividing Americans so vastly and many caught in between the two candidates, there's a lack of trust in both of the candidates. The album's title is derived from that similar concept: "the last hero" being a hero in society amongst feelings of disillusionment amongst the world's current powers. So, Bernie?

Jokes aside, the album does definitely make a strong stance on the matter. It's heavy riffs and soaring vocals really provide an urgent view on the scenario. The first song on the record 'Show Me A Leader' is a good example, a creepy, semi-clean guitar intro leading into big riffs from Mark Tremonti and giant vocals from Myles Kennedy. The album's strength lies in these two things. There's really nothing beyond the big riffs and big vocals - 'The Writings On The Wall' follows up with much the same vibe as the song that preceded it, while 'The Other Side' sounds distinctly more evil and brooding, complete with a weird siren-sounding guitar effect.

Things start getting old by the time 'Poison In Your Veins' comes around, but the big riffs keep them from being fully boring. The album isn't completely riddled with these thick riffs, luckily. Some distinctly non-evil sounding songs add to the album's palette, like the uplifting 'My Champion' and the interesting guitars of 'Cradle To The Grave'.

The album does, admittedly, get interesting in its second half. It begins with the ballad 'You Will Be Remembered', starting acoustic then building up into a sweet, uplifting rock track. 'Crows On A Wire' follows up with crazy, thick riffs that take the track to nearly off-kilter thrash levels. The band then sounds like a metal version of U2 in 'Twilight', bright guitars above heavier rhythm. Then comes the epic 'Island Of Fools', starting with a dramatic guitar intro that leads into an awesome and confident track with immense vocals. The title track is one of the only tracks where the drumming from Scott Phillips can be appreciated for being interesting. The big riffs and nice bridge allow for another big moment before 'Last Of Our Kind' ends the album on a similarly big note.

The biggest disconnect, for me, at least, is the vocals. Kennedy definitely has a lot of strength and power as a vocalist, but there's something in how operatic and dramatic his voice is that makes it sound like he's a hair metal wannabe. There are moments on the record where it works well, but it just doesn't work for me as a whole. More specifically on the music itself, it just downright sounds like the band tried way too hard to sound bombastic and relevant. The formula of "we'll grab your attention with these big riffs in between vocals" is prevalent throughout the album. They took relevance over quality.

Alter Bridge is the bridge between modern metal and 80's hair metal. Sometimes that doesn't always work in their favor, though. The Last Hero is plagued by the divide between grandiose and relevancy in a way that would make Muse's The Resistance jealous. There's too much punch, not enough value. They're doing what they do best, but perhaps not to the best of their ability.

Favorite Tracks: Island Of Fools, The Side Of Fate, The Last Hero

Least Favorite Tracks: Poison In Your Veins, Cradle To The Grave

Rating: 68 / 100

OneRepublic - Oh My My

The pop rock style of OneRepublic is hard to contend with. 2013's Native set them on the course of success, and now they're back with the well polished follow up, Oh My My. 

Oh My My isn't a vastly different record from Native, but it stands its own as a solid record. That's clear right as it begins with opening track 'Let's Hurt Tonight'. The song isn't flashy and doesn't try to bee. The modest instrumental doesn't stop it from being big with grand vocals. Ryan Tedder doesn't hold back on vocals on this record at all. He hits some big notes on other songs including 'NbHD' and incorporates some great melodies into tracks like 'Dream' and above the groovy basslines of 'Oh My My'.

The album is a pop rock goldmine - 'Future Looks Good' brings back the band's signature pop vibe with a bright instrumental. The guitars in the some are fresh and ring sweetly, even including some nice work in the bridge. 'Better' shows a different side of their prowess, its badass vibes paired with a beat that pumps up its listener and empowering gang vocals.

OneRepublic doesn't stick solely to their known strengths, though. There are plenty of cool and experimental moments on the album as far as instrumentals go. Progressive rock and pop master Peter Gabriel joins the band for 'A.I.', cool electronics driving the song as it reaches its epic climax with a big guitar solo in its bridge. The solo ends and leads into a reprieve that brings the song to a sweet reprieve after the energetic nature of the rest of the song. 'Wherever I Go' channels The Weeknd, with Tedder crooning with loads of swagger above a sensual instrumental and a falsetto chorus.

The album doesn't excel at everything, though. It's particularly during the second half of the album where it starts to lose momentum and become a bit boring. Everything after 'Born' really has a standard vibe, with the exception of the grandiose of 'NbHD' featuring Santigold. There's really little to talk about with the later half of this record - it's just plain boring. It's definitely very safe, but with that they made it underwhelming. The last two tracks are sweet, but leave the album off on a very unfulfilling note. Perhaps they wanted a gap to be left for the next album to fill.

Oh My My may not end strong, but it serves as a good reminder that OneRepublic can manipulate pop rock however they want and have it still be good. It's latter half may be boring from an outside perspective, but the pop appeal of each track is unarguable. Another success for the band, but let's hope there's a little more to offer in the next record.

Favorite Tracks: Oh My My, A.I., Let's Hurt Tonight

Least Favorite Track: Human

Rating: 76 / 100

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - 'A Minute To Breathe'

Climate change is a long discussed issue, and there are still those with power who don't believe it or see its impact. Leonardo DiCaprio and Fisher Stevens are joining forces to help shed light on the issue in their new documentary Before The Flood, challenging the question of just how much the climate has been affected by human interference and how authorities around the world are tackling the problem.

A powerful documentary can't be as effective without a supporting soundtrack to go with it, though. This film won't have to worry much about that, though; they've got the likes of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross tackling it, with Mogwai and Gustavo Santaolalla in the mix, too. Basically, they have the pinnacles of vivd music working together to create the documentary's soundtrack.

The team has released a song from the soundtrack, entitled 'A Minute To Breathe'. It's a very barebones track. The majority of it it Reznor singing in his signature hopeful yet defeated timbre, the song slowly but surely resonating with the deep, cavernous piano chords somberly backing his vocals. A few spiraling synths make an appearance later in the song to add some dimension to the track, setting the scene in an icy Antarctic field - fitting for the film's and the song's message.

The song's message is what really builds the song. The lyrics are, appropriately, a summation of the climate change crisis around the world. The first verse ends with the lines "We try / Deny / To believe to believe / We can't believe / In anything" to express the lack of acceptance of the issue, the first half of the verse claiming we will only see our faults when it is too late: "We wait / We pray for the rain / For the rain / For a rain / To wash away." The song's chorus hauntingly pleas "I don't want to say goodbye / Stars falling from the sky / We will all be judged / By what we leave behind," hoping that the curse of our own legacies will serve as justification to finally provide a reason to help combat climate change. The song ends in a beautiful building of sound, the world ending in a hurricane of noise (or, if climate change continues, a literal hurricane) as Reznor cries "I just need a minute to breath."

We are destroying our own world, and many refuse to believe so. The new documentary Before The Flood hopes to squash any lasting doubts of climate change, and aims to show how some of the world's leaders are attempting to put an end to it. The film is out worldwide in theaters on October 21. The soundtrack sends much the same message, and four of the greatest artists in film scores and music have come together to create it. We can determine what the fate of the world is - but what will that legacy be?

Rating: 87 / 100

Sum 41 - 13 Voices

Sum 41 were a major part of the pop punk movement of the 2000s. Their edge was boosted by high energy riffs and thoughtful - or sometimes rebellious - lyrics. The band's fate was uncertain following 2013, but their comeback album is here in 2016: 13 Voices.

Perhaps taking time off was a good move, because Sum 41 sounds at the top of their game on the new record. The record feels fresh and new, not quite a reinvention but rather a personal rediscovery. Their purpose is clearer on 13 Voices. Their previous five albums made their statement, but not quite as concisely or effectively as this sixth effort.

You know things aren't quite the same right from the intro. Half of the first track 'A Murder Of Crows' is an epic buildup of electronics and strings, and epic orchestra soon backed by thick, brooding guitars before the meat of the song comes in with the same awesome demeanor, gritty vocals paired with sweet melodies to create an electric atmosphere. Just the mere inclusion of strings is enough to give the band some creative credit here. They return in the intro of 'Breaking The Chain', as well, but don't swell in a cinematic way like the former track. Instead, it's a calmer, more progressive build up from the pretty strings to big guitars.

Their pop punk revolution isn't to be ignored. With acts like Moose Blood on the rise (see our review of their album here), pop punk just may be on the brink of revival. Lead single 'Fake My Own Death' saw the band not being afraid to veer away from the signature sound of the genre. It's a standard song, granted, but its guitar work solidifies it as a solid song for pop punk. 'Goddamn I'm Dead Again' does it better, the clapping leading into thick riffs and pounding drums. The song borders punk and alternative metal in a sort of odd dance, the beat and drive obviously punk with a Green Day influence, but there are some killer, dark guitar solos on it that deviate from the standard.

13 Voices has some evil in it, too. Sometimes it works, and sometimes... well, it kind of sounds like My Chemical Romance. The title track '13 Voices' is essentially an MCR ripoff, right down to the vocal delivery. It's a bit sad considering the song had lots of potential, but just feels ripped out of The Black Parade's playbook. Closing track 'Twisted By Design' also has a My Chem vibe, but in a much more natural way that works in the world of Sum 41. The piano intro is followed by dramatic, empowering vocals as the song slowly builds into a driven, thoughtful ending to the record with fantastic melodies. A perfect ending to the record. 'There Will Be Blood' is another song with a brooding, industrial vibe to it, particularly in the slamming delivery of "We'll take the souls of the little ones / And that might be you" in the choruses.

Through the uncertainty, Sum 41 made it through with flying colors. 13 Voices is the start of something big: a new future for the band. A fresh and imaginative sound is here for the Canadian outfit, and they couldn't get off on a better footing with this comeback album. Here's to a new future.

Favorite Tracks: Twisted By Design, A Murder Of Crows, There Will Be Blood

Least Favorite Track: 13 Voices

Rating: 82 / 100

Bruno Mars - '24K Magic'

Four years is a long time to take a break. For Bruno Mars, though, it was just what he needed. His first single in four years '24K Magic' sees a fresh new start for the pop's funkiest singer.

Massive success brings massive wealth, and that shows in the song. It's half self-obsessed and half excited: the song's literally about his 24-karat gold chain and having an extravagant party, but on the other hand it also says that the party is here and he's excited to be back in the game. The chorus proudly chants "Players only, come on / Put your pinky rings up to the moon / Girls, what y'all trying to do? / 24 karat magic in the air / Head to toe soul player / Uh, look out," showing the celebration and grandiose of this party we're welcomed to.

The upfront nature and hype-up vibes of the lyrics is backed by the very 90s instrumental. The whole song's a party! Packed with fat basslines and bright synths, the instrumental makes the song feel bigger than the lyrics do. Slowly building bass synths give the song a taste of modernism while still fleshing out the 90s feel. It's a departure from Unorthodox Jukebox in the sense that its emphasis is geared on the vibe rather than the meaning. Mars was always a truly funky man, and '24K Magic' takes it even further.

The music video gives the song an appropriate visualization. The song's music video features Mars and his crew partying throughout Las Vegas, hitting up casinos and grand parties. The video's pretty straightforward, grandiose imagery of the Vegas party scene paired with dancing and butts capture the song's vibe perfectly.

Bruno Mars is back. It's real and its strong, and it's ready to tear up the music scene. 2017 is going to be a big year for Mars if '24K Magic' is any signal. It's the title track of his upcoming album 24K Magic, out on November 18. Don't miss it! We'll have our review out on it when it comes. Until then, we'll be partying to this track.

Rating: 82 / 100

Green Day - Revolution Radio

Many would've thought the bomb of the ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! trilogy and Billie Joe Armstrong's rehab spelled the end of the punk rock legends Green Day. Those ideas have been vanquished, as the band's new album Revolution Radio sees them regain their footing.

As Armstrong claimed, the trilogy had "absolutely no direction to them" and were trying to "be prolific for the sake of it," and there's a lot of merit to that. The albums were just a collection of aimless tracks, with no rhyme or reason to them besides the statement and implication of an album trilogy. That disappointment is being them, Armstrong calling Revolution Radio "not so much a makeover as a make under."

Another true statement. The band's recent outputs since American Idiot have been slammed largely because of their failed attempts; 21st Century Breakdown was a second try at a rock opera, and I've said enough about the trilogy already. Revolution Radio returns to the roots of what made Green Day great: songwriting, energy, and character. Lead single 'Bang Bang' - read our in-depth track review of it here - ignited that flame again, rejoicing fans at its politically charged lyrics and high energy riffs. The instrumental's fantastic, a pure mix of alternative rock and punk coming into one energetic track. The song even experiments a little bit, with an eastern influenced bridge, providing a dramatic moment without sacrificing the momentum or message.

Momentum is carried forward with 'Revolution Radio', another single from the record. The fun guitar moments that imitate the melody of the vocals with other little tidbits in between to keep the song going and interesting. Like 'Bang Bang', it's another political statement on social media, but in a positive light rather than a reprimanding one. Other big moments on the record include the true punk riff of 'Bouncing Off The Wall' and the big rock vibes of 'Say Goodbye' that won't fail to pump you up. The great and big choruses of 'Troubled Times' also have strength in its groovy feel and huge output.

The softer moments on the record give some depth to the record. Single 'Still Breathing' is the prime example. It's this album's 'Boulevard Of Broken Dreams', but with the Revolution Radio twist. There's three distinct characters of the song: a child, a soldier, and a junkie at the end of his ropes, all connected by the familiarity with the world's chaos. They all understand that everything may seem horrible and at their end, but as stated in the chorus, which chants, "'Cause I'm still breathing / 'Cause I'm still breathing on my own / My head's above the rain and roses / Making my way away," life will go on and get better as long as they stay positive.

Another ballad-esque song is 'Outlaws', which feels like it came straight from American Idiot in tone. It feels as though this album and American Idiot are joined at the hip, both having the same function but growing independently of each other. There's political confusion and anger present within both, yet they each have their own separate narrative beyond that. Acoustic number 'Ordinary World' ends Revolution Radio, made for Armstrong's movie of the same name rather than the album, speaking of his character's undying punk rock dreams staying true to this day. It almost stays in tune with 'Still Breathing' in a sentimental way. The album opens similarly with 'Somewhere Now', its acoustic folk intro calling back to his folk collaboration with Norah Jones before kicking into its message.

Green Day are back if Revolution Radio has anything to say about it. Gone are the days of gimmick and lackluster attempts at a part two. Politically charged and fired up as ever, the flame within the band has been reignited with a new passion and drive. The band's no longer on the road to demise; rather, they're heading down the road to revolution.

Favorite Tracks: Still Breathing, Bang Bang, Revolution Radio

Least Favorite Track: Youngblood

Rating: 84 / 100

My Chemical Romance - I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love

Roughly ten years ago, one of the biggest bands in the history of music released one of the most influential albums in the history of rock. But before that, they had to begin somewhere. It has been a decade since My Chemical Romance released The Black Parade, but besides a select few songs, the songs preceding that album aren't as well acclaimed.

That being said, it's not hard to see why that's the case for the band's 2002 debut, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. The album is a tragic cross between edginess and some good ideas, but neither points are actually achieved throughout the record, making the album almost widely forgettable until you look at its purpose.

Musically, there really isn't much going on that's special. There's a lot of uncertainty in the album, and its evident through the sound. The album's rawness plays into that. Unlike future MCR albums to come, I Brought You Bullets misses the grandiose of its successors and focuses more on the "emotion-through-tone" aspect. The instrumentals are often times brooding and fast-moving without much work done on them to clean up. The work isn't sloppy, but it's definitely not tight, either.

The first examples of rawness are in 'Vampires Will Never Hurt You', the big drive and solid guitar work feels wholly unpolished but still fits the context of the song with its edgy, throaty screaming from Gerard Way in front. 'Vampires' is almost like a precursor; it has traces of that signature creepiness that always gave MCR's music very Tim Burton-esque. The edgy textures follow through in 'Drowning Lessons', focussing more prominently on melodic guitars while still maintaining the off-kilter vibe.

The album isn't pigeonholed into one type of sound. That's a big thing for a debut, especially of its time. There's the lo-fi Spanish acoustic intro of 'Romance', which is almost misleading of the album but carries the sentiment expressed within it. 'Our Lady Of Sorrow' can be most easily described as a form of "dance metal," the guitars interesting and heavy with a driven beat that has a slight groove to it. If Gerard wasn't screaming like a dying frog, this song could've been something really interesting. The entire sound of the album is contrasted by 'Early Sunsets Over Monroeville', the bright, cheerful guitar shining above Way's flowing melody. The song is somber yet clean. The album's closure 'Demolition Lovers' - the subjects of the accepted headcanon of the story, discussed later on - is a longer song, starting quietly and with a defeated vibe before building into one final burst of energy and anger to close the album. There's different parts and levels to the song that give it some character, giving the album a fresh ending.

I Brought You My Bullets takes on a different dimension if you take the story into account. The story, while unofficial, turns the album into a concept album. A simple yet effective tale, the album tells the story of two lovers running from an enemy before ultimately being gunned down in the desert. The story is picked up in the band's sophomore album, but I Brought You My Bullets ends in defeat. His girlfriend dead, descending to Hell and he being trapped in purgatory, it's a tragic ending to a thrilling story put to bad screams and volatile instrumentals.

The theme of love and chasing it, or in some cases destroying it, is definitely present throughout the record. The story starts with the character acknowledging in a selfish manner that the relationship will only fail in 'Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough For The Two Of Us', the chorus clearly stating "And you can cry all you want to / I don't care how much / You'll invest yourself in me / We're not working out." The Black Parade explored the acceptance of death, while the band's first two explore immortality. This becomes more evident in Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, but the lead up is in I Brought You My Bullets. Undying creatures such as vampires and causes of death including drowning are evidence of the exploration of death, how to escape it, and what it means.

Some songs don't fully play to that concept, though. Particularly, there's 'Skylines and Turnstiles', the song that is set off My Chemical Romance. Inspired by Gerard's witnessing of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks. The lyrics discuss whether or not forgiveness can be sought out, and whether or not there is hope for justice. Way shows that there is unity amongst the people, that no one is alone, but can't beg but ask whether or not there is hope to be found, the chorus pleading "This broken city sky, like butane on my skin stolen from my eyes / Hello, Angel tell me, where are you? Tell me where we go from here."

My Chemical Romance's beginnings may not have been perfect, but they stood as precursors to what was ahead. I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love is a confused record, but its struggle with identity birthed something unique, unbeknownst, at the time, to both the band and listeners. It's a hit or miss record, unfortunately, but its importance cannot be ignored.

Favorite Tracks: Vampires Will Never Hurt You; Demolition Lovers; Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough For The Two Of Us

Least Favorite Tracks: This Is The Best Day Ever, Cubicles

Rating: 68 / 100

We're reviewing My Chemical Romance's discography this month - check in next Thursday for our review on Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge!

Nicolas Jaar - Sirens

Brilliance can come in the most subtle of forms. Such is the case of Nicolas Jaar's highly anticipated second full length album, Sirens. The Chilean-American producer has long been an icon in the electronic an ambient scene, and the reasons why are evident in the album.

Growing up in New York with one of the world's most profound visual artists as your father is bound to serve as inspiration. Jaar grew up in dance music circles in the city, crafting a rough, hip-hop influenced array of tunes, originally as jokes just to make his mother laugh and dance. His message became clear when he released two songs featuring him singing in Spanish as a counter to the European DJs who were exposing Latin American and South American culture in exploitative fashions.

Sirens isn't an album that makes a highly political statement, but it does reveal what Jaar's culture and past mean to him. The dark and franticly dancing synths of 'Leaves' are supported by cute samples of what is presumably a young Nicolas Jaar having a family moment, as you can hear a little boy speaking Spanish to his parents. Its like a dark contrast: the darkness of life shrouded those purer, innocent memories. The ode to his heritage continues in 'No', a simpler song that builds up to a Latin beat backed by Spanish chants.

The brooding theme carries into the billowing 'Three Sides Of Nazareth', the driven synths, big beat, and interesting samples combined with the hook of "I found my broken bones on the side of the road" replaying throughout giving the song one of the strongest vibes on the record as far as energy goes. The album's closer 'History Lesson' is a dreamier song to follow 'Nazareth', building slowly into a confident ending, bubbly synths rising as a big beat and organs with guitar provide a big ending to the record, as a release to all the pressure.

Killing TimeThe darkness of the album cannot be ignored, though. The dramatic album opener is the epic, eleven minute track 'Killing Time' is full of dark, moody imagery complete with sparkling descending pianos and beautiful aesthetics. The song's even split up into three parts on certain versions of the record: 'Mirrors', 'Killing Time', and 'Sirens'. The eleven minute long journey seems to do it well, though, especially as it seamlessly segues into 'The Governor' with its groovy, surf rock samples that precede thick bassy beats and aesthetic pianos.

Nicolas Jaar's new album is prolific and keeps his heritage close without being overly political. It's beautiful aesthetics are only marred by the need to listen to the album several times to really get it - if you don't analyze it, it won't make much sense. It becomes background noise, in a sense. But it's a soundtrack of a life, and a soundtrack to a culture. Jaar's mission isn't over yet.

Favorite Track: Killing Time

Least Favorite Track: No

Rating: 77 / 100 

Yellowcard - Yellowcard

When the alternative rock legends Yellowcard announced that they were calling it quits, many were disappointed. Now, that final album is here. The band will tour for the album then hang up their coats for good. Their tenth and final studio album is the eponymous Yellowcard, and its a mixed bag.

The album is a sendoff, as it appropriately should be, and encompasses a lot of what Yellowcard have built themselves up to in their career. The band was always special because of violinist Sean Mackin providing that extra, unique touch to each song, and that's evident on this album. Proud violin brings in the opening track 'Rest In Peace', while also leading the emotional ending 'Fields & Fences'. The album's closer is a country-tinged one, being lead by reverberating electric guitar, a folky acoustic, and Ryan Key's somber vocals. The violin adds a lot to the song, making it sound like the appropriate farewell from the band. It sounds like something you'd hear at a funeral, the clouds grey and empty with a thankful but sad atmosphere. The melodies are sweet as the band builds up to one big, final climax before the song is taken out with a pretty violin. The band buried the hatchet appropriately with this one.

There are some rockier moments that won't tug on your heartstrings in that way, thankfully. 'A Place We Set A Fire' takes its riff straight out of the mid-2000s, the band's prime. The bass tone is absolutely awful, but the song makes up for it in its sweet, sweet nostalgic vibes. The choruses take you back to your high school days (or if you're in high school, reminds you of the present). The five-minute spanning 'Savior's Robes' brings some urgency to table and provides the album with some final heaviness. The choruses take you back similarly to 'Place', the harmonies and melodies sounding exactly like the niche of that era.

That's really all of the praise you can give the album, sadly. The rest of it is plagued by poor decision or simply boring songs. From the beginning with 'Rest In Peace', you know the album is destined for something that's not 100%. The song starts off promising but ends in a bland fashion, a very uninspired array of guitars, melody, and arpeggios. 'Got Yours' is also a song that just comes and goes due to its forgettable structure. Repetitiveness and just being plain boring is what stops the country vibes of 'I'm A Wrecking Ball' from being any good.

The rest of the errors are mainly decision based. No one can be quite sure as to why the band decided to brickwall and distort the drums of the intro of 'What Appears' to hell, and then do it again with everything at the end of the song. Nor will we be able to understand why they included the album's piano ballad in the front half of the record, right when momentum was starting to build. Why 'The Hurt Is Gone', an already boring song, goes on for over six minutes is also a good question to be asked.

Yellowcard's final album isn't perfect, but it ends just how it needed to. It's a summation of the band's decade-and-a-half career, and really shows why the band made it to where they are now. They were an important band to alternative rock and the whole emo subculture it carried, and it's sad to see them go. All good things must come to an end, and Yellowcard is no exception. The memories will carry on.

Favorite Tracks: Fields & Fences, A Place We Set A Fire, Savior's Robes

Least Favorite Tracks: What Appears, I'm A Wrecking Ball, The Hurt Is Gone

Rating: 68 / 100