Review Summary: I'm your rubber band, man.
At their core, The Story So Far has always been a band for the broken hearted pop-punk kid. Whether it be through vocalist Parker Cannon's aggressive, spite fueled lyricism towards an ex or the anthemic, energetic instrumentation that just demands you go out and skate on a sunny day, the Walnut Creek pop-punkers have found their way into the hearts of many disillusioned adolescents. As we grow up, we must eventually come to terms with the fact that life is not fair. People change, and relationships almost always wither away in time. The Story So Far has been learning to accept this over the span of their illustrious career, and from the angry, youthful
Under Soil and Dirt and
What You Don't See to the more laid back, mature
Proper Dose it appears as though they have come full circle. Parker has finally accepted that she's gone, and it's time to move forward and allow himself to love again. Above all else, to accept his own flaws and insecurities. With four records and almost ten years under the band's belt it begs to ask the question...
where do they go from here?
Well unfortunately for the fans, The Story So Far seemed to be having the same dilemma. After the release of 2018's
Proper Dose, the band went quiet. Real quiet. 2020 sent the world spiralling into chaos, and things just seemed to be getting more distant for them. Another year swallowed up by the passage of time, and yet the silence remained deafening. Eventually, uncertainty began to rear its ugly head. "Are you guys really just gonna disappear on us? Where's the new album?" a comment chain found more and more common as time flew by. It seemed as though disdain was even starting to surface, as the band's loyal followers began to feel abandoned. Because of all this unnecessary stress, Parker decided to shift focus to his side project band No Pressure, almost as a means of escape. Releasing two relatively successful LPs and a couple singles here and there, it seemed as though Cannon found his niche elsewhere and The Story So Far was tragically no more, at least as far as new music goes.
Then, a light in the darkness. A tour with the legendary blink-182. Temporarily satiating everyone's desires, the band finally caved and tentatively released a new single entitled "Big Blind." The song was great, the boys were back, and everyone was ecstatic! Yet, something just didn't
feel right. Almost as if they weren't quite ready to release new music yet and were merely obligated to because of the massive tour. There had to be another chapter in The Story So Far's book, right? Well, you know what they say. Good things come to those who wait. Finally, after almost six years of grueling patience, The Story So Far has returned with their long anticipated fifth album,
I Want to Disappear.
Kicking things off with the aptly titled "All This Time" the band immediately reminds everyone why they are considered a powerhouse in the pop punk genre. An explosion of catharsis that shows they haven't missed a single beat. Upon listening, it becomes clear quite early that Parker has matured magnificently as a songwriter and particularly as a lyricist. Whereas the first three albums focused primarily on his breakup (almost nauseatingly so on 2015's self-titled)
Proper Dose is where Cannon began to reflect on more than just his love life. Struggles with addiction, severed familial ties, and learning to accept his losses in a more level headed way were just the beginning of his emotional turmoil.
I Want to Disappear proves that those feelings of indigo never truly go away. Focusing primarily on the tragic passing of Parker's father due to throat cancer and the grieving process towards accepting his untimely death.
"Nothing standing in my way, I think of you every day. And if there is a better way, I trust that you'll show it to me." These themes in regards to loss continue throughout the album, most notably on the enormously catchy lead single "Letterman" and the lyrically devastating "Keep You Around." Although there are still traces of Parker's longing for the girl that got away,
I Want to Disappear is grief stricken at its very core, and this sadness seems to permeate and loom overhead like a cloud that just won't go away.
Despite the depressing lyrical content,
I Want to Disappear has a sense of hopefulness due to the energy displayed in the music itself. In fact, the band's ability to craft a memorable tune is stronger than ever, as guitarists Kevin Geyer and Will Levy provide a myriad of explosive, energetic riffs found most notably in the absolute stone-cold bangers "Nothing to Say" and "Watch You Go", all brought together by the precise, immediate drumming of Ryan Torf. Sadly, this is the first TSSF release with the absence of bassist Kelen Capener, but thankfully the album's quality doesn't suffer too much because of this.
I Want to Disappear stands on its own as an interesting chapter in the band's story, reminiscing on old pages while still maintaining a unique identity. Penultimate track "White Shores" chills everything out, and reflects back on shades of
Proper Dose with an even deeper sense of longing. As if the album weren't somber enough, closing track "I Want to Disappear" brings everything together in the form of a sad, acoustic ballad that will leave you glassy eyed in remembrance of what could have been.
It's quite amazing how fast time passes us by. Though it's been six years since we've heard from them, it feels like The Story So Far has never left us.
I Want to Disappear proves that their fire is far from burnt out, and also provides an important moral about the acceptance of death and moving on. A short but sweet experience that reminds us to hold our loved ones closer, as we all must go someday. But for now, let's rejoice and be glad that The Story So Far is still here and making more memories for us to hold onto.
