Love is an overarching theme throughout most music. The phenomenon of love has been covered over and over again, romantic love being in the center of it all. Though, sometimes, a track or a whole LP focuses on a completely different type of love.
Background
Beartooth has been slowly building up the release of this record since “Riptide” since 2022. Other singles include “Sunshine!,” “Might Love Myself,” “Doubt Me,” and “The Better Me.” The time has come for the long awaited LP…does it live up to the high standards it bestows upon itself?
Album Highs
Caleb Shomo, the lead vocalist, had his work cut out for him in this record. Overall, Shomo’s vocal range is impressive with each track, and it is especially evident in the final track “I Was Alive.” He holds out these notes that put an emphasis onto the already lyrically inspiring song, which makes the words mean more than just face value. The song itself is about having no regrets when it comes to being on one’s deathbed since they knew that they did a lot more than just survive in their life.
Speaking of lyrics, the focus of the record is, no doubt, about the process of loving one’s self and living life to the fullest. In “What’s Killing You,” there is a lyric that reads, “Try to suppress the feeling, put the void inside my mind, hopelessly pretending I’ll always have more time.” What this references is the mindset that most people have, which is the idea that they are always guaranteed the next day. This song is the counter to that mindset, saying that no one is guaranteed more time to live.
Album Lows
This record is strong in a lot of ways, but towards the end it loses some momentum. For example, the song “My New Reality.” This song is meant to be an homage to the success of the band, and how things that were once thought impossible were the new reality for them. The message is clear, and it fits in with the self-love theme, but it is the weakest in terms of lyricism. It could be that this song is meant to be more personal than relatable, but this is also why it makes it not as strong as its predecessors. There is another song that fits in with this reason (“What Are You Waiting For”), and it could have been left off the record entirely with no further damage done.
Verdict
This record is an 8/10.
Kasper Mielke has been a music reviewer at The Eastern Echo for over a year.
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Highlights:
“What’s Killing You”
“Look The Other Way”
“Sunshine!”
Record:
