Review Summary: Pushed under the rug...but can't be contained.
It seems like this band's past two albums were ways away from being on anyone's radar (pun intended)...and unlike Jesse Barnett's other sporadic side-projects he keeps throwing out into the world, Ways Away stick close to that Pop-punk sound that makes you feel like Van's Warped tour never wanted to die. Jesse's other projects include Trade Wind, Wish You Were Here, and lastly, Stick to Your Guns...which seemingly all show the spectrum in how Jesse wants to tackle every genre he finds himself comfortable in. Whether that's chill lo-fi bops, quiet guitar picking, or screaming gutturals to wash away the anger. So then where exactly does Torch Songs land? While this album isn't necessarily anything different from their first self-titled LP, there's still some songs here that can fit right inside your "felt emo might delete later" playlist you keep on Spotify, along with tracks from Touché Amore, Trophy Eyes, or even The Story So Far. But with that being said, is this album a good or a bad take?
While the first part of this album hits on all cylinders from the get-go...the excitement you're supposed to feel here starts to dwindle and become somewhat lack-luster during the second half. Even when some of these tracks in the latter half like ‘The Only Living Boy in LA’ or ‘Burn Me Out’ have a higher BPM than my heartrate through an intensive exercise...they just never reach those same heights in the first half. ‘I Got Low’ is a great start for an album that wants to keep up this intensity and continue all the way to ‘Never Mind the Dog’ that sounds like an anthem for wanting to break wide-open and jump someone who has the highest authority in the room. Sometimes it's okay to slow this intensity down to take a breather with tracks like ‘Happy with What I Have’ that wants to give off that sincerity when you're trying to prove your side of the argument in a relationship. And we can't overlook this same sincerity found in Jeremy Bolm's feature in ‘Heaven's Lathe’ with lyrics: “There's depths beyond what's visible, And I'm only so capable. But if we should meet along the way. You could follow me." ‘Easy Fix’ proves to be a decent track that allows you to take a breath, but it doesn't convey the same feeling and pales in comparison to how Jesse portrays this earlier in ‘Happy with What I Have’. Lastly, ‘Roll Back to You’ ends the album on a slow clap/fade to black that feels like everyone in the audience just stares at you awkwardly in silence while the curtain closes at the speed of a sloth trying to cross the freeway...just a blah closer.
There's so many good things to find in the first six tracks on this album that it more than makes up for the last five, but while it's stalling and swerving around in the driver's seat trying to get back on track...it just can't rev back up to the quality in where it started from...and this might make you think, where's the substance I heard earlier? Jesse's vocals continue to stand out amongst most of his peers but maintaining that cohesion in songwriting and structure for a pop-punk sound...might not be his strong suit at the moment. I was ready to love this album and give it a superb recommendation, but it just doesn't quite make the cut. It's still a great album for the tracks that it has on display, but there's more potential to be found in the future. Give this a listen along with all the other bands I mentioned earlier.
