Post by Josh McLaughlin on Sept 10, 2013 23:12:12 GMT -5
Released: September 5th, 2013
Tonight Alive is: Jenna McDougall, Whakaio Taahi, Jake Hardy, Cameron Adler and Matt Best.
www.tonightaliveofficial.com
Tonight Alive are easily one of my favourite bands going around! They manage to stand out in the pop-punk genre with their energetic live shows, insane touring shedules, friendly nature and kickass music to boot! They've been gathering quite a following the last year or so by doing The Warped Tour twice in USA, Soundwave and Warped (soon) in Australia and tours of Europe and Asia as well. This last week they dropped their second full album, titled "The Other Side", and I'm back to deliver the verdict on how it is!
The album opens with "The Ocean", which was released a few months back. It's heavy, it's energetic and it has a different energy to anything Tonight Alive have done previously. It's distinctly more mature, trading in the youthful popiness for a more defined, sophisticated sound, which works amazingly well. The lyrics are fantastic, telling the story of vocalist Jenna McDougall's health struggles over the last few years. The instrumentals are great too!
"Don't Wish" kicks in next, a mid-tempo rocker. I absolutely adore the lyrics, the years of touring and perspective really show through. The tune is really catchy, Jenna seems to be pushing her voice a lot more. The instruments in this are fantastic. The drums are heavier, the bass is louder and the guitar solo kicks ass! Tonight Alive were one of my favourite bands before this album, and so far, they have improved so much!
"Lonely Girl", the album's main single is next. This song is full of emotion and energy, as always. The lyrics are incredible spiteful... which is incredibly awesome. The guys on guitars and drums have improved a lot musically on this record. They mould together far better, play better and their writing has improved so much. This is an amazing song, 'nuff said!
Check out "Lonely Girl" on here, courtesy of YouTube.
"Hell and Back" is next, and features possibly my favourite Tonight Alive lyrics ever. "It was the heaviest of rain I ever felt on my skin, the heaviest place I had ever been in. As the walls crashed down, I felt it slip away, because I went to hell and back just to be where I am today". Great stuff. I love this songs slow-build too. It starts off slow, quiet and ambient and builds up to the rocking chorus. Whakaio is fantastic at creating mood and atmosphere in songs, and I love that this band can musically sound so upbeat and happy even when the song can be about struggles. Listening to this band always cheers me up.
"The Other Side" is a ballad with (once again) a great meaning and lyrics. This song is so damn catchy, it has been stuck in my head since the first time I heard. This is very fitting to be the song the album is named after, since it shows exactly how much the entire band has progressed since their last record, "What Are You So Scared Of?". The songwriting, lyrics, instruments are all so much better, which I never thought I'd be able to say!
"The Fire" comes in heavy! A fast, angsty song in the verse and a slower, catchier one in the chorus. This song kicks ass and from every YouTube video I have seen, it kicks ass live too! "Complexes" is next. A very melodic, unorthodox song with the way Jenna sings, in a completely good way. The music has that pop-punk charm and the chorus is infectious. Another great track!
"Come Home" is another great, incredibly catchy mid-tempo track. I'm loving how audible Cam, the group's bassist, is on this album. Bassist's tend to get lost in the mix behind the other instruments on records, and I love how distinct it is in this album, as it helps give it the charm that pop-punk has. The drums are also fantastic on this album, as Matty really goes hard to bring something different to the table
"Bathwater" is a very personal and emotional song and it ties into the first song of the album. This song is also about Jenna's health and mental struggles. Jenna pushes herself to the limit on this album, in songs like this particularly. Her range is bigger and her voice is incredibly emotional. She was already a great singer and performer, but if this album proves anything, the sky is the limit for future records.
"No Different" is bloody incredibly! It's dark, moody and really heavy! The guitars of Whakaio are amazing are usual, but it's Jake on rhythm guitars that really gives this song it's heavy sound. I am awe-struck by this sound, as I never expected it from a pop-punk band. One of their best tracks EVER.
"Say Please" is a very emotional song, about the band's constant touring and running themselves into the ground. I can really relate to their experiences, just through the lyrics, and it paints me a perfect picture on how hard the band really do work to get the following they do. Great song.
The album finishes with "You Don't Owe Me Anything", a very different sound for the band. Driven by Jenna and a piano/keyboard, the song is undeniably one of the best things the band has done in a musical sense. The lyrics are heartfelt and touching and Jenna delivers them with passion and precision. The band kicks in during the second verse, building up before exploding in the second chorus. This song is absolutely perfect.
I can't get over how much this band has improved in the span of two years. They still have the youthful charm that "What Are You So Scared Of?" personified, but their more mature approach on this album really just makes every single song shine. The lyrics are much better, the guitars set a much greater mood, the bass is louder and the drums are heavier and more technical. This is a stunning album that shows exactly how far this young band have come! Do yourself a favour and get it!
10/10