Review Summary: I'm in love with the rhythm.
Issues are misunderstood. Though some might chastise them, perhaps deservedly, as the ideal example of Rise Records’ penchant for soulless electronicore, Tyler Carter and company have always set their sights on an admirable goal — the successful fusing of traditional “core” styles with contemporary R&B and its accoutrements.
Headspace, Issues’ first authentic step in that direction, was exciting and bewildering in equal measure, a one-of-a-kind curio.
Headspace, while underrated I think, did expose many of Issues’, well, issues. Michael Bohn had no place in the band. The songwriting needed tightening. It was time for the group to leave hardcore music behind and fully commit themselves to the genre-Frankenstein they had created.
After giving Bohn the boot in 2018, it seemed that Issues would finally write something daring, and maybe even a little bit prescient.
Beautiful Oblivion, regrettably, is not that. It has moments of real boldness. It has moments of real fun. But it is also an example of a band lost in no man’s land, unsure of itself and its audience. When
Beautiful Oblivion leans into its weirdo R&B-core shtick, complete with slap bass, cool synths, and groovy vocalizations, it is a revelation. When Issues revert back to more typical genre tropes and techniques, a trend far too common on
Beautiful Oblivion, the record grinds to a halt.
Beautiful Oblivion is worse than frustrating — it is wildly, terrifyingly inconsistent.
One thing
Beautiful Oblivion has on its side is Howard Benson’s immaculate production. Benson and Issues evidently aimed for a crisper, more refined sound, and their choice was the right one. AJ Rebollo’s guitars are rich and beautifully toned. Josh Manuel’s drums, heavy and clean yet not overbearing, compliment Robello well. Carter sounds terrific, with just the right amount of effects placed on his voice. And it is especially refreshing to hear a post-hardcore record produce its bass competently — Benson leaves more than enough room for Skylar Acord to shine, and
Beautiful Oblivion’s funk and hip-hop-inspired rhythms are much better for it.
Issues have unexpectedly decided to incorporate real textures into
Beautiful Oblivion’s songs. What is most surprising, though, is that these melodies are sometimes genuinely moving and expressive, and always infectiously catchy.
Beautiful Oblivion's strongest parts — the bridge of “Drink About It”, the end of “Rain”, the chorus of “No Problem (Keep It Alive)” — coalesce when Issues meld djent-y guitars, Ty Acord’s electronic accents, and Carter’s falsetto into affecting soundscapes. Indeed,
Beautiful Oblivion is most compelling when it alternates between these beautiful melodics and groovier, bass-laden bits. Carter is the glue — the ideal voice for Issues’ experiment, he flows gracefully from pop-rap ballads to dramatic histrionics with skill, and his hooks are irresistible.
Beautiful Oblivion’s devotion to its metalcore heritage is its undoing. The numerous remnants of Woe, Is Me-style sensibilities that remain on the record, like “Downfall” or the second-half of “Tapping Out”, are painfully dull, complete with token screaming and breakdowns. It does not help that the record is at least three songs too long, either — cutting out these parts would have led to a tauter product. The worst track on the record by leagues is “Your Sake”, a totally out-of-place piano interlude that is neither eloquent nor intimate. It is the worst kind of filler. I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed by Josh Manuel’s performance, too. Manuel is a highly creative drummer, yet he adds little to
Beautiful Oblivion beyond setting time.
There is a general sense that Issues are still metaphorically throwing everything at the wall with
Beautiful Oblivion. Its pop-core progression appears to have moved forward a step or two, but it is staggeringly unpredictable. “Flexin”, what will undoubtedly be the album’s most controversial track, exemplifies this. A hilarious, utterly stupid crunkcore hybrid, “Flexin”’s lyrics are borderline autocritical — Issues’ musical flexing is a problem, if only because it has found them, as Carter quips, with another flat tire.
