Just What the Doctor Ordered
Bittersweet Reality - Strobe Light Casualties (Newer Music Tuesday)
The implementation of Daylight Savings Time this past Sunday has left many people (slightly) more rested, but also has brought along some seasonal sadness. I get it, it’s hard not to get bummed out when it’s dark at 5pm every day! Well, if you’re feeling glum, no need to worry, because the doctor is in, and I have just the fix. It’s an easy prescription, one you don’t even have to trek to your local pharmacy for. All you need is Strobe Light Casualties’ new album Bittersweet Reality, and you’ll be right as rain in no time!
“Just Ask Yourself” is a stellar introduction to the album and to the band itself. It’s a song that’s filled with layers, so many that it’s tough to listen to it and do something else at the same time. This anti-multitasking tune begins with a sound that I can only describe as something that would play in a video game menu, or perhaps in an 8-bit café in said video game. However, once the vocals come in, it’s clear that this is an album worth listening to. They convey a sort of passion that makes the lyrics have high stakes, even if they’re not about something deep or dramatic. The song itself has a very organic sound, as if the listener just stumbled into a live jam session.
The track that follows, “Miserable”, is a song that I feel truly displays Strobe Light Casualties’ creativity. I read over the lyrics several times after hearing them, mostly due to the fact that I was so impressed that they found so many rhymes/adjacent rhymes to the word “miserable”! Who knew there were so many? Other than the fantastic lyrics, I found myself especially enthralled by the guitar in this song. It’s so skillfully played that it portrays deep emotion, almost sounding like it’s speaking to you. I’m a big fan of the harmonies at the end of the chorus, as I think they’re so well blended and honestly slightly addictive.
“Wanted to Pretend” was a whiplash song for me, mostly because it’s a song that adds elements as it goes on, becoming better and better until it blows your ever-lovin’ mind straight to the stars! The opening line of the song, “You hung up on me/But I’m hung up on you”, made this song a favorite as soon as it was said, because how clever is that?? I like the sound of the acoustic guitar on this song, because even though it’s not as noticeable as “Wanted to Pretend” goes on, it has a consistent homestyle kind of sound throughout, something you can lean on as layers are added. The chorus is a philosophical meditation that’s delivered in such a melodically sweet way that the weight of the words is disregarded until you actually sit and think about them. However, out of all the cool moments in “Wanted to Pretend”, what made it one of my favorites was the totally sick guitar & piano solos. Though brief, they made the song totally awesome for me. Move over Billy Joel, because this piano solo proves who’s the REAL piano man here! The guitar solo was hilarious to me, because this heaven-sent, perfectly echo-y guitar just comes in, shreds for a couple seconds, then goes away right after. Things like that always make songs memorable for me, and so for two of those moments to be in “Want to Pretend” solidified it as my favorite off the album.
When looking at the lengths of songs on this album, I was surprised to see that the second to last track, “Seasons” was a whopping seven minutes and forty two seconds long. While the length might steer some people away, I always like to listen to long songs, because they’re usually that length for a good reason. Let me assure you, “Seasons” is seven minutes and forty-two seconds of total greatness, the likes of which I’ve never heard before! It’s a tune that begins in an appealing way, then switches up in the middle to become something totally different and equally as awesome. I think of “Seasons” as being a Covergirl song, because it changes so easily, breezily, and beautifully. While every single instrument reaches their full potential in this song, I was especially impressed by the bass, because many of the notes played are as quick & fast as an Olympic hurdler, and played just as skillfully! “Seasons” is the best example of a build-up song that I’ve ever heard, one that I just know would kill live in front of an audience.
Bittersweet Reality is a seven-track wonder that’s a crime to miss out on. This is an album that is elevated by the fact that the music sounds like the members are having fun with it, one that is put-together but isn’t afraid to have amusing moments within. This is something that can make a good album great, and in the case of this one, make a great album even greater! So remember, next time you’re feeling blue about darkness coming early, throw on some headphones and jam out to Bittersweet Reality to make everything feel alright.
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