Set It Straight -
My Favorite Words
Quote:
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Originally Posted by "For You, For Me" lyrics
I'll try my best to live each day better than the last. To find the strength to fight, to hold on to what's right for me. And you should try your best to make this last as long as your heart allows it, and to make this ***ing count (for you). I'm not invincible, but i believe in myself, and i believe in Straight Edge. We all die someday, i'll die standing for what i believe, and i'll stay positive (and i'll keep focused). In all sincerity, this means the world to me, and i'll give everything. Choose the battles that you live and die for, it's time to make a start. Whatever it is that you have to fight for, to anyone with heart, make your stand.
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The quoted lyrics above represent some of the more hackneyed, simplistic, one-dimensional, and awkward lyrics I've ever read. Even beyond that, there's nothing to the lyrics that makes them better or distinguishable than any other hardcore band that uses the words "honor," "positive," "strength," or "straight edge." However, to harp on that point would undermine the whole, amazing song "For You, For Me," and in fact the full album of Set It Straight's
My Favorite Words, whose title implies something about the aesthetic of the band. They're using archetypal posi lyrics because it's what's important to Set It Straight. They are the inspiring lyrics that have been fueling hardcore for over 20 years. A more specific use of the term "my favorite words" occurs on the namesake song. The lyricist describes his favorite words before becoming straight edge as "I need to quit [drinking]." He ironically describes the self-deception involved being a lush, thus furthering the need to reiterate the posi lyrics. I guess what I'm trying to say so far can best be summed up by a reviewer from scenepointblank.com, who describes the lyrics as "hella posi."
But the narrow simplicity of those lyrics goes beyond that, because I feel that every genuine musical moment on this album is buttressed by the lyrical content. For example, the amazing guitar section on "For You, For Me" with the lead guitar riff and the break to shout "standing for what I believe," has such an honest strength to it that I find myself consenting to its on-paper awkwardness and banality. Set It Straight have their lyrics function as a cue to throw in a sweet songwriting technique or gimmick, so that every great, clichéd lyrical moment like "standing for what I believe" is accompanied by an equally catchy and noticeable musical quirk. And because the album is saturated with these lyrical moments, the album also has hundreds of musical moments that ensnare the listeners attention, usually in a more sophisticated way, and gets them into the Set It Straight ethos. I love the aforementioned moment on "For You, For Me." Other really freakin' awesome moments are the aggressively played harmonics, both pitched and natural, throughout the intro and verses of "Playing Dead" and "Conversation," the contrapuntal octave melody exchange on the post-chorus interlude on "My Favorite Words," etc. This album produces so many awesome moments that it automatically can win the heart of even the most jaded listeners of hardcore and its subgenres (which I may just be).
And in this world of expected lyrics and fun moments, there seems to be something more mature in the voice of the band. I mean that literally as the singer's voice is a lot older sounding than a lot of other hardcore singers, and his delivery is very matter-of-fact; he doesn't beat you over the head, but exclaims all of his lyrics like they are utter truth, like they're assertions. However, I also think their maturity is figurative. The playing here is incredibly tight, which allows the band a lot of room to use have massive stops and starts, harmonic notes, and messy pickscrapes. It is because they are always going to pull out of a more chaotic or dissonant moment with some elegance. Also, Set It Straight knows when they're being brutal, and fittingly amp up the distortion and aggressiveness, or when they're being energetic, and they knowingly play their instruments more crisply (see that sick riff on "For You, For Me"), and best of all they know when they're being poignant, which results in the beautiful, epic crescendo on "Playing Dead" to end the album. I think that's another reason why I'm so willing to accept the crappy lyrics; the band knows they're not innovative, but know their lyrics' power in the lives of those who are straight edge, which results in the calm, strong delivery.
Excuse me if I've been talking too much about the philosophy of this band, but it's difficult to sort of why being so wrong can feel so right, as the expression goes (sort of). It's amazing that a band can use so many clichéd lyrical moments as the foundation of their style, yet feel incredibly fresh, powerful, and honest on the musical side. The musicianship and songwriting abilities are incredibly prominent, which allows the lyrics to be presented in the most memorable way possible. To summarize the this album, I'd say it's undeniably likeable to fans of any kind of hardcore, but particularly to those whose favorite words are the hella posi lyrics that one can expect from tons of hardcore bands. Similarly, the sound follow suit by being slightly melodic hardcore, but with more than a few unique and new instrumental tricks to keep the sound original and fun. I wish there was more to say here, but there actually isn't.
Recommended Tracks: For You For Me, Playing Dead, My Favorite Words, Conversation
