Review Summary: More than just a brutally honest exploration of addiction, TSSF's latest outing might be one of their best yet.
The Story So Far got sick of their craft for a while.
At least that’s what I gathered from
Proper Dose’s third single 'Upside Down', and the not-exactly-subtle lyrics about wanting to “find something more” or that they “carry baggage” every night. Understandably, there’s only so many times you can shout the same songs about the same breakup you’re already over, each time reliving emotions that aren’t even there anymore. As a listener, there’s only so many times I can deal with Parker singing about the same girl with the same songwriting approach. So it makes sense that on
Proper Dose Cannon and co tried something different, a decision that certainly paid off.
The first thing you might notice on
Proper Dose is that this isn’t the album promised by its three recent singles – or at least in whole. If there was one fault in their previous releases, it’s that within each album the band never provided enough variation to maintain prolonged interest. In 2018 TSSF aim to rectify this, exploring a mix of familiar and new territory, divided healthily across the record’s length. From the record’s blistering opening run, through its plaintive middle and ponderous conclusion, TSSF impeccably produce nearly every sound they attempt. While the title track and 'Keep This Up' serve as some of the best-refined aggression the band has ever produced, 'Take Me As You Please' and 'Growing On You' call back to
Songs Of, but with far-improved performances and writing.
Lyrically, it’s not exactly subtle that this album explores addiction – specifically, Parker Cannon’s addiction, so it feels inappropriate not to acknowledge this. 2018 is a notable time for this album to release, in the midst of America’s opioid crisis and soon after Mac Miller’s tragic overdose. Instead of surface-level commentary, Cannon opts for brutal honesty on the matter. 'Out Of It' sees him denying his problem and shutting others out, with the excuse that his drugs are “appropriate” – whether self-prescribed or medical. 'Let It Go' likens his feelings toward these substances to an unfulfilling relationship he no longer yearns for. 'Keep This Up' sees Cannon fearing familial shame, discussing his destructive behaviour, and with near-tangible frustration he belts chilling words:
“Bet if you keep this up
You'll die here all alone
Yet you still fill your cup
Nodding off, nodding off now.”
With those last words he could almost be saying “not enough”, referencing the sedative and addictive aspects of what’s in his cup, and mirroring the lyrics from lead single 'Out Of It'. In a world where some of the world’s most popular artists – even recently Drake – glamorise opioid abuse, it’s clear that brutally honest accounts such as Parker’s should be heard more. It doesn’t hurt that these words are backed by some excellent vocal performances – whether it be his typical snarls on 'Keep It Up', his surprisingly pleasant falsetto on 'Growing On You', or his smooth middle register on 'Light Year’s' chorus. On 'Need To Know' he even expands his high register a full tone above what he’s hit on record before, grazing a full-voiced Eb5 (as in, a Tillian Pearson Eb5). The production choice to shroud his vocals in subtle effects has already been a point of contention among long-time fans, but for the most part I don’t mind it. It’s how I imagine his voice sounds to himself when he’s under the influence – a little distant, but still his own.
The album isn’t perfect though. For one, 'Line' is a barely listenable acoustic interlude track that didn’t need to happen, on par with the worst parts of
Songs Of. Also, while I appreciate how sharply many of the instrumentals are written on this album, they remain largely unadventurous, despite some welcome variation with guitar tone and acoustic instrumentation.
According to a recent Kerrang! interview, The Story So Far have thought more than once about disbanding over the last few years.
Proper Dose paints a much brighter picture for the band’s future, carrying with it a much clearer sense of direction than their previous self-titled release. As the final notes of 'Light Year' ring out, gone is the desperate melancholy present on the closing tracks on their previous releases. With its optimistic yet grounded lyricism (“toss a number in my lottery”), the band seems willing to give music another go, and if anything this album proves this isn’t a mistake.
yeah hopefully you enjoy this more than the st, I certainly do
