I know many of us, myself included, have either been through or are currently going through depression and anxiety. For all its wonder and intricacies, music cannot cure something like that. It can, though, in my experience at least, take the edge off a slight bit. That's why records like Self Portrait exist. The album is a cacophonous, angry, sad, hopeful, and at some times beautiful collection of screamo that ranges from pulsating, loud hardcore riffs with a sound like that of locusts and quieter, more melodic post-rock crescendos. Emotionally, it begins giving off a feeling of uneasiness, but this quickly tailspins into anger and finally into melancholy by "Nostalgia". Yet, "Never Remember" is surprisingly upbeat, and by the time closer "Satellite" begins to soar, the uplifting nature of the record is revealed. It manages to map out this range of emotions in only thirty-one minutes, but it feels quite a bit longer, and I say that in the best possible way. In all, Self Portrait will probably end up being the screamo album of the year for many people, myself included. It has its bevy of cathartic moments to thank.
Bump |
