Tilian - Material Me

Released: March 19, 2013
Record Label: Vital Records

Tilian Pearson is one of those vocalists that take time to grow on you. For those who are unaware, he is typically a vocalist for post-hardcore bands, and has moved around a lot. Currently, he is one of two vocalists for the Sacramento sextet Dance Gavin Dance, but his career has been tempestuous. He is best known as the vocalist for Tides of Man, and since garnered much attention from more mainstream bands. After vocalist Cove Reber was cut from Saosin, Tilian tried out for the position, and it seemed like he would get it, but after much controversy he was ultimately not a member. Shame, too, because his vocals would have definitely benefited a band whose future is now probably bleak. He was rumored to be the new vocalist for Emarosa, but that didn't work out, and has finally settled down with Dance Gavin Dance.

Like I said before, his vocal style is something that is an acquired taste; he has a very high-pitched sing and it puts many people off. I was no exception, as I dismissed his work, until recently it grew on me. It's very distinct, one of those voices you would recognize almost immediately. Taking into account his eclectic style and his popularity, a solo album seemed quite obvious. Usually, when a vocalist of a band decides to go solo (especially recently), it is met with mixed reviews.

A short list of such:

Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy): Released Soul Punk late 2011, and while I liked it, it wasn't met too well with the public.

Matty Arsenault (A Loss for Words): No album, but the stuff he's released is quite boring.

Tyler Carter (Woe is Me, Issues): Amazing voice, and has released great covers, but more of the same with Matty.

Anthony Raneri (Bayside): Radical style shift from his Bayside stuff, a punk band, to solo. It was met very well with the public and critics alike.

Jonny Craig (Dance Gavin Dance, Emarosa): Decent first album, but I can't stand the man as a person.

Most of all these vocalists (with the exception of Raneri) have released very pop-oriented material, and Tilian is no exception. What separates him from his contemporaries, however, is that his voice has perfectly complemented the musical accompanyment. It's a strange vocal style, remember, so it's difficult to pull off, but he did a wonderful job doing so. Let's take a look at this album as a whole, then each individual song.

Album as a Whole

This record flows perfectly. There is a good mix of slow ballads, and dance material. Each song is easily identifiable, despite staying in the same key throughout. It's normally a hard task to accomplish, because sometimes these songs can just mesh together and run the risk of being same-sounding.

Does this album push the boundaries of pop music? No, not really; but while most of pop can have obnoxious synth riffs or overbearing vocals (Flo Rida or Beyonce, for example), Tilian seems to have struck that perfect balance. A good example of this is "Up in the Air," one of the singles. There's a slow build throughout the song, and the ending gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. Even when Tilian hits his higher range, it's doesn't feel like it's too much; each song calls for a different way of presenting his voice and he delivers.

The prevalent theme of the album's lyrics deal with love. I know, it's not too groundbreaking, but I find them very thoughtful and not conceited (for lack of a better word). When he has to criticize himself, he does, when he talks about the faults of someone else, he does. It's a very nice thing that's uncommon; none of the lyrics I encountered are malicious by any stretch of the imagination, and never comes across as whiny. It's unusual to see in love songs nowadays, and it's a breath of fresh air.

I would give this a 10/10 without doubt.

Short Takes on Songs

1. Now or Never (featuring Tyler Carter of Issues): It's a dance track, and a good opener. It's certainly not the best on the record, but sets the tone of the album. It's a triplet feel, which you don't see in too many pop songs. Good way to start the album. Tyler Carter has a cameo on the bridge, and surprisingly the two work together very well. 8/10
2. Someday: One of the best tracks I have heard in a long, long time. It's a song of the year contender for me. Tilian's vocals fire on all cylinders, and the music is great. The electronic drums in it complement it very well, and the guitar work is great here. This is a wonderful listen and I recommend it for anyone, not just pop fans or fans of Tilian Pearson of Tides of Man. It's about dealing with growing up with someone and reminiscing about more innocent times. He doesn't want to give up on his love interest because of the great times they had together when they were younger. It's an amazing track, and it's one of those songs that makes me emotionally in tune with it, which almost never happens with me. 10/10 (if I could go over 10 I would).
3. Waste my Time: ... and the pace picks back up. It's catchy, I can dance to it in the shower (don't judge me), and has a very anthemic chorus (especially the ba-da-da-da-da-da part at the end of each one). The drum work here is simple yet extremely effective. Another stud from here. 9/10
4. Chemicals: This is the first single from the album, and is probably the most upbeat. Follows the same structure from "Waste my Time," and has an even better beat. It's driven by chilling synth riffs. Only problem here is that Tilian's voice are sometimes too high when they shouldn't be, but it's not distracting. 8/10
5. Up in the Air: It was the first track I heard from the album when I got it. The falsetto that Tilian does is amazing and it flows well into the chorus. The acoustic backing here is really relaxing, and the lyrics are very relatable. It's about having your life in the balance, and making the right choices. Towards the end, the acoustic fades into a more heavy electric guitar riff, and back into the acoustic. It's not a new thing in music, but it's done so well. His singing at the end is something to listen to; not like anything I've ever heard from him or anything else. 10/10
6. You'll Forget Me Soon (featuring Sofia Sweet): One thing I like about this album is that everytime there is a softer song, it comes back into something catchy. This keeps the pace constant and doesn't ever become boring. The synth line in the chorus is pretty neat, and Tilian doesn't over-exert himself. It's not one of the stronger tracks, but still good nontheless. 7/10
7. Favor the Gods: Tilian is fighting with his psyche, and isn't satisfied with the status quo. Something has to change; this is the first song that changes to a new key (for those who don't know what a key is, just think of it as the sound of a music, how the music notes are arranged, etc.). The transitions from verse to chorus back to verse are pretty nice here, and the beat is very steady. 9/10
8. Perfect Lie: One of the fastest songs on Material Me. Let me reiterate, I love the way that this album switches up the speed and tempo every track. The electric guitar ridden beat is great, and puts Tilian in less familiar territory in terms of the rest of the album. He does it great, though, and I can see this becoming a hit (maybe, depending on how he's marketed). It's a very poppy song, so be prepared for the mainstream sound, though you should have been before listening. 10/10
9. Ghost: The slow buildup with the synth and then Tilian coming in with his strong vocals is a nice touch. This mid-tempo ballad is one of the best on Material Me, and is very different vocally from the rest of the album. Tilian experiments with his high range a lot more. His voice is a bit processed here, but it works well with the song. 10/10
10. Flutter: Back to the dance tunes. Not a very strong track, but it's charming in its own right. Not much to say, but I enjoy it. 7.5/10
11. Feel it Again: The album closer, and oh, what a closer. The beginning reminds me of Ne-Yo's "Let me Love You," a very underrated dance track. It's about living out the night so you don't worry about the future and the panic that comes with that. This is something that someone wanting to party and forget about the stresses in life should definitely put on. Normally, this would be my favorite, but seeing as how the album is just so amazing, this barely makes the top 5. Oh, and I usually don't have an ear for dubstep, but it oddly works here. I don't know why, but it's just a weird touch that I think is really interesting. 10/10

Final Thoughts

Out of all the solo projects released in the past few years, Material Me has to be by far the best. Not just that, it's one of the best pop album I have heard in year. I don't listen to a big portion of the Hot 100, but I keep track of what's popular. I have to say, this fits right in while having its own distinct sound. This is, to no surprise to anyone who has listened to the album, a must listen for fans of all genres. It flows well, is always interesting, and never loses a step. This is my favorite album of 2013 so far, and may well stay that way.

Album Rating: 10/10

The Story So Far - What You Don't See

Released: March 26, 2013
Record Label: Pure Noise Records

I don't like Pure Noise Records, let's be clear about that. There are exactly two bands that I like on it: Daybreaker and the band I'm reviewing today, The Story So Far. For those who don't know, The Story So Far is a five-piece band from Walnut Creek, CA (about an hour from where I live) with pop-punk, punk, and hardcore influences. They developed a reasonably big following in the East Coast before signing with Pure Noise, before releasing their debut full-length, Under Soil and Dirt, in 2011. The album was a somewhat short record that was well received by the public and critics alike. Off the momentum of two singles, "Quicksand" and "Roam," the latter of which was my favorite on the album, their following grew exponentially. Now, in late March they are releasing their long awaited sophomore album called What You Don't See.

So, as some of you may know, many bands experience that "sophomore slump," and subsequently lose whatever momentum they had gained from the debut and before. Going into this record, I kept in mind that this could very well happen to a band that I have seen live and love listening to. At the same time, what made TSSF so good was the pure emotion that vocalist Parker Cannon elicited on nearly every song (a notable example would be "Daughters" on the debut).

The first song I heard from What You Don't See was "Right Here," which was slightly different from the Under Soil and Dirt album, but I still really liked. It took a few listens to really appreciate it, but when I did I decided that it was one of the better tracks they had released. They released another song, "Like Glass," which I actually didn't hear till listening to the album as a whole. That being said, the leak for the album was put out, albeit in bad quality. I couldn't resist getting it, though I had the album on preorder as part of a promotion the band did.

This is my first album review for the blog, so I'm going to divide this actual review into two parts: the album as a whole and a short take on each song. Enough background, let's get to it:

Album as a Whole

Usually when I listen to an album for a first time, I don't pay attention to lyrics, just how it sounds in general. So, this would be generally how the songs blend together, how the instruments on each individual song mesh together; it's just a chemistry thing I suppose.

What You Don't See is pretty different from the debut Under Soil and Dirt, but don't be fooled; what made that album great is present on this one, but with better sound. That sounds badly worded, but what I mean by that was although there is a different tone and overall sound, it still takes what was good from Under Soil and Dirt and adds on to it. The only flaw with this new album was the transition from the "slower" songs (quotations because that's really not the case, but it's all relative) from the opening track "Things I Can't Change" to "Stifled" seemed a bit rushed. I believe that's more of a production problem than anything else, but there should have been more of a smooth transition.

Otherwise, the album flows well, and the subjects of the lyrics (ranging from bad relationships to distance to loneliness) don't completely throw me off guard. The sound is consistent throughout the album, with Parker sounding better than ever. His strength is, though he doesn't have a strong voice like with Matty Arsenault (of A Loss for Words) or Ben Kotin (of Such Gold), the aforementioned emotion he puts forth is really present here. This is so with the other vocalists, but for me personally I can genuinely feel what he feels, even if I can't completely relate to what he is saying.

As far as the instruments are concerned, drummer Ryan Torf has really stepped up his game. He knows when to slow it down and when to speed up into his double-time drumming when appropriate. The songs don't just feel fast for the sake of it; this is a difficult concept to convey, but with a lot of pop-punk bands, especially those that try to have that hardcore tinge, the drumming is usually discordant with the rest of the band. The guitarists didn't really change much from the first album, but they still sound great. It's a different key than the first album, but the type of band that TSSF is didn't really change much.

Overall, I'd give this portion a 8/10, for the general sound being good but clumsy transitions here and there.


Short Takes on Songs

The songs here are generally great, and the songs individually are great. Some do fare out better than others, though:

1. Things I Can't Change: This is a great opener for the album. Starts out with a tom-heavy beat led by Kofin, and Parker shows exactly what we're in for. Probably my favorite on the album for how well it all comes together. 10/10

2. Stifled: As I mentioned earlier, the transition to this song is a bit clumsy, but it eventually picks up. It's about dealing with distance and the insecurity that comes with a long-distance relationship. The lyrics are wonderful, but I didn't think this song came together like the preceding did. 7/10

3. Small Glass: This is what I am talking about. This is most reminiscent of their older material, and Parker just sounds awesome. It deals with hiding insecurity and having "small talk" (pardon the redundancy) to hide everything. Great song, and a must listen. 10/10

4. Playing the Victim: Another good song, and it sounds different than the rest of the album. There's a lot of metaphor here, for example when Parker claims "That air that dries your lungs/But you kept our trust." I'd check it out. 9/10

5. Right Here: This took some time to grow on me. It's really different from most of the album, but honestly I think it was a great choice for a first single. The song is about how even being with someone you can still be alone; not a new topic but I love the way Parker goes about it. The guitar work here is my favorite on the album, and it really is a must listen. 10/10

6. Empty Space: This was the first music video released for the record. It's very anthemic, and will be a staple live. Not much more to say, as it isn't one of my favorites on the records but it has a good place in my heart. Extremely catch, I must say. 8/10

7. Like Glass: Most people claim this is their favorite on the record, and I can really see why. What a chorus: it is just so catchy and fun to sing along with. Parker sings in his higher register the entire time, which can come across as trying too hard to be emotional, but that is not the case here. One of the few songs that doesn't start immediately; there is some buildup and it really works for them. 9/10

8. All Wrong: I love the drum work here. I love it, absolutely love it. The chorus is my favorite on the album besides "Things I Can't Change." The lyrics, from what I interpreted, deals with denial and is one of the stronger lyrical tracks. Need I mention, it's incredibly catch and the solo at the end is simple but effective. 10/10

9. Bad Luck: It's about taking the blame and being in denial (again). Parker's vocals on the chorus and each subsequent one gets stronger. It's one of the shorter songs, but it says all it needs to say. 8/10

10. Face Value: I thought this was a little boring, to be honest. It's not bad, by any means. It seems a bit rushed, though. I must say that the guitar work in the bridge was pretty cool. It seems to drag, however, and that's ultimately what hurts it. 6/10

11. Framework: This is a short record, and the closer here is one of the longest, clocking in at 3:07. I just love the opening to the song, as it feels like a satisfying closer. The guitar work here is one of those things you want to hum along with. It's about dealing with an evolving complexity of a failed relationship. Everything comes together and forms an absolutely great closer. Whatever momentum that the opener built and was sustained was ended brilliantly here. 10/10


Final Thoughts

For anyone that listens to pop-punk, this is definitely a must have. The Story So Far definitely didn't disappoint with their sophomore year, and even might be a game-changer. It was a great album, and I hope that What You Don't See will further propel The Story So Far up to where they deserve to be with popularity. One of my favorite releases this year, for sure.


Album Score: 9/10