Review Summary: "It's just so hard to be original when we all hurt in the same ways."
There is a sense of loss found within the contents of Rust Belt Lights sophomore release, 'Religion & My Ex.' This record features a tightly wound band delivering 12 strong songs, all shining together through the idea of loss. The album is very personal, breaking the fourth wall and embracing the listener's darkest times with relateable messages for everyone to comprehend. Accompanying these lyrics is the distinctive pop-punk sound that allows this band to create the catchy and personable songs.
The opening song brings forth a relatively subtle chord progression that is contrasted by a quick, firm, and constant breakneck drumline. The loss in this song is brought forth by the lyrics, "What happened to that little girl? What happened to the way you were? Where does the time go, being wrong just felt right, so I guess I'll never know." The song transforms the overall pace to deliver this memorable part. Zach Dietsch's vocals perfectly fit within the music style. He has a distinct sounding voice that can bend to different pitches and tones very well. 'There Is An Ocean' is the song that exemplifies just how far Dietsch can push his voice. The entire song sounds strained, really forcing out the pain he feels in the content of the lyrics.
One thing that consistently surprised me about this album was the drum work by Matt Bratcher. He is continuously delivering erratic beats, fills, and blastbeats that surge behind the rest of the instruments. The kick drum sounds awesome, hell the entire mix compliments the drums. Even on a slower track like 'Stolen Lines,' Bratcher finds it in him to provide an intricate pattern to his instrument. The guitars are tasteful. Various solos are played out by guitarists Tom Mayer and Pat McAndrew, with a ferocious bite to the tone and impressive skill. Cody K on the bass is heard progressing the songs along, while also taking over to start 'Old Ghost'. The vocal melodies provide catchy points of songs that allow for fun replay values, eagerly anticipating the moment to sing or scream along. 'How To Live Without' has catchy "around and around again" group vocals.
Rust Belt Lights have created a fun album with a powerfully dark side. 'Parkside' is a song that embraces the stop-and-go chord patterns of Pop-Punk, playing out like a summer anthem. Within unsteadiness however, here is beauty found by the narrator. This is apparent in the cleverly titled, 'Stay Young or Try Dying'. This song explicitly reminds the listener how Home really is where the heart is. 'Selfish Boys' is an emotional out pour, being driven by impressive snare hits.
The lyrics are not to be overlooked. The clever writing ability helps embrace the personal style of the album. The closing song is a stand-out example. "I am a verse without a meter, a boundless song without a key, we are words that don't quite rhyme, underused and redefined, out of tune and out of time." This chorus sums up the unstable anxiety the narrator is conveying throughout the LP. The title of the album comes full circle during the impressive ending. Setting the mood is a rolling snare and discordant guitars that explode into a final belt by Dietsch. "The memory becomes a blur, like a kid who lost his faith, just trying to get the story straight. The ever-broken, jilted lover, like an old book about God, thick layer of dust, never picked back up." Strong written lines like these are layered in each track, finding and associating meaning to them makes the album even more worth listening to.
This LP is not over-produced, giving the album a more raw and real feel. This type of production sounds like a live setting, which is something a lot of bands try to achieve without success. It is my opinion that this mix really helps the album. The approach is honest, and the outcome is a 43 minute work of art.
