Review Summary: Poor songwriting and uninspired music makes Dispose 2018's rock-bottom.
Fearless Records manufactures music the same way Starbucks does coffee. They keep the wheel turning as they cycle scene groups in and out of the spotlight. All of them fit into a mold as they push for “individuality” and “emotional liberation.” They all rely on detuned chugs, uninspired screams, and overly emotional lyrics. They practically own the Warped Tour as a guaranteed number of bands appear on the lineup each year. The sad part is their formula works. They have fans eating out of their hands each time Fearless debut a new act. Even if their work is bad, it’s still consistent. Fearless Records impressed me after the release of
Feel Something. The album was innovative and different. It was refreshing to hear in today’s musical climate, and a friend of mine recommended me one of their newer acts The Plot in You.
The Plot in You boasts a young lineup who already have four LP’s under their belt. The lead singer, Landon Tewers, is only 28 years old. This comes to no surprise as the vocalists biggest influence is Oli Sykes. With youth comes inexperience, and with inexperience comes
Dispose. Much as the name suggests, this album is disposable in every regard. The music is bland, forgettable, and sophomoric to the point of satire. There’s nothing distinctly memorable after hearing it. I find it difficult to understand how listeners find any takeaways on this album. The production quality is overdone and works against the record. There’s so much going on vocally and instrumentally. Each song has a synth pop canvas that is unnecessarily dramatic. The deep guitars pour over it as the vocalist switches styles throughout the song. They’re throwing sounds at the wall to see what sticks, and quite frankly, none of them do.
‘Rigged’ instantly showcases the groups various problems. The exaggerated soundscape, noisy guitars, and poor vocal performance made me question how this was a professional release. The lyrics are immature even for a post-hardcore record. The first verse begins with, “What do I say?/They told me that I'm too much to handle/I've gotten way too f***ing carried away/And damn it's a shame these f***ers had the best and they blew it/I'm running circles around the p***ies they made.” The edginess is real in this one. The worst part is Landon Tewers is the only credited writer here. None of the lyrics sound inspired or legitimate. It’s so forced and corny that even pre-teens can see through it. The lyrics only get worse as the album progresses. “Do you remember what I said/The night that I just spilled my soul?/I told you things about myself/Things that no one else should know,” from ‘The One You Loved,’ is so vague. The music doesn’t even sell the drama since it’s the same as any other track.
The closing track ‘Disposable Fix’ is a million times worse than any song on this album. The lyrics are pure genius. “I could have ***ed her for days/But thinking about it/Maybe I just thrive on the chase,” is tattoo worthy. The fourth verse is just amazing, “F***ed with too many petty bitches/Ain't got time for this s**t/Those peasant p***ies probably took it.” The conclusion hits you right in the feels with, “You're not a victim of s**t/I put myself on the back burner/Held myself back for you/I'm a disposable fix.” Hold on, let me grab some Kleenex. The song is so relatable and realistic that I’m remembering an obscure past relationship. Maybe after this I can go binge some Breathe Carolina to ease the pain.
The vocal performance is so distracting. It’s not really consistent since Tewers is doing his best to imitate artists more successful than he is. ‘I Always Wanted to Leave’ has him boast a winey pop falsetto that sounds artificial. The way he sings “Why do I keep giving time away” makes me want to bash my head into a wall. ‘The One You Loved’ has a Carrie Underwood-style chorus. It doesn’t fit into the song and made me laugh when I first heard it. ‘Paid In Full’ is their best attempt at copying Bring Me the Horizon. It’s embarrassing at how hard they try throughout the album. Tewers isn’t talented enough to even hit the key. I almost forget they’re not a tribute act. Kellin Quinn, Vic Fuentes, Oli Sykes, Austin Carlile, they’re all copied on this album. Throw in any metalcore or post-hardcore vocalist from the past 10 years and you’re done.
Dispose is one of the worst albums you’ll hear this year. I should have gotten the hint after Loudwire named it their fifth best album of 2018 so far. It’s such a shameless cash grab that it doesn’t deserve the chance to even be noticed. The real kicker is they’ve been marketing this release since June 2017. Who even anticipated this release? Why would anyone anticipate this album anyways? Not even the marketing makes any sense. I wouldn’t recommend this album to anyone. Fans of metalcore, emo, or post-hardcore have so many options. These guys are already obsolete. They can’t even hold a G-chord without tripping over their amp cables. Do yourselves a favor and go listen to somebody else.
Standout Tracks
None.
