Worcester, MA easycore quartet Four Year Strong's seventh full-length, Brain Pain, is their heaviest album to date, and one of the best in their almost two-decade career.
"It's Cool," opens with a solid minute of confusing reverb and chime-effect heavy vocals before the crunchy guitar riffs and rougher vocals take over. This heavier introduction to the album really sets the tone. "Get Out of My Head" sounds catchy at first listen, but the charm of its ultra-repetitive chorus wears off pretty quickly. However, this showcase of disappointing songwriting is offset by the earworm guitar riffs and decent lyricism of "Learn to Love the Lie" and "Mouth Full of Dirt."
While every pop punk and emo band is obligated to include at least one acoustic track, "Be Good When I'm Gone" is a sweet but heart-wrenching apology to a significant other (or child). Having to constantly say goodbye when leaving for tour can make you feel like the biggest asshole.
The album's final track, "Young at Heart," is a haunting masterpiece with indecipherable lyrics. It could be about mourning the loss of a loved one or trying to hold on to them. Either way, this song is an unexpected but perfect ending to a sonically tight album.
Four Year Strong haven't really experimented with anything new on Brain Pain, so if you've been a longtime fan of the band, you'll love this.
(Pure Noise Records)"It's Cool," opens with a solid minute of confusing reverb and chime-effect heavy vocals before the crunchy guitar riffs and rougher vocals take over. This heavier introduction to the album really sets the tone. "Get Out of My Head" sounds catchy at first listen, but the charm of its ultra-repetitive chorus wears off pretty quickly. However, this showcase of disappointing songwriting is offset by the earworm guitar riffs and decent lyricism of "Learn to Love the Lie" and "Mouth Full of Dirt."
While every pop punk and emo band is obligated to include at least one acoustic track, "Be Good When I'm Gone" is a sweet but heart-wrenching apology to a significant other (or child). Having to constantly say goodbye when leaving for tour can make you feel like the biggest asshole.
The album's final track, "Young at Heart," is a haunting masterpiece with indecipherable lyrics. It could be about mourning the loss of a loved one or trying to hold on to them. Either way, this song is an unexpected but perfect ending to a sonically tight album.
Four Year Strong haven't really experimented with anything new on Brain Pain, so if you've been a longtime fan of the band, you'll love this.