Album Rating: 4.5
this is like if Stage Four and Is Survived By had a baby, and because of that, it's thus an improvement on every single front. there's not a single aspect of this album or of the production, mixing, engineering, etc. that i could complain about. while this album is somewhat predictable in very specific places, i've noticed that most TA albums have been before release, like their others, riding those predictions, yet still manages to blow all expectations that come with it way out of the water. while it's not as relatable as Stage Four, or even maybe Is Survived By, musically and lyrically— you'd be kidding yourself if this wasn't one of (if not) their best work. the production sat weirdly with me with the singles, but as most of their records have been, the singles become almost perfect in context to the album. no matter what you think, you still won't find an album in this vein that will top Lament this year. i won't argue with people because i know i can't convince people that don't fuck with it— but this is an improvement on all fronts from Stage Four, with [somehow] even more consistency than before, and every song (E V E R Y S O N G) serves its place, and after a few listens, it becomes apparent that TA can only improve from here, and essentially have improved to their best abilities with every album since Parting the Sea.
this might not be a perfect record in convention, but you'd be hard pressed to find an album like this that does it better. everything in this album is all in its right place, and there's nothing that could be changed to make it better. easily a 4.5, and tbh i could see it becoming a 5 in time because of the sheer consistency and quality that every track holds.
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