Review Summary: Nothing really matters now, so what am I so worried about?
Generally speaking, Bayside seems to have one of the most underrated discographies in pop-punk. They’ve consistently churned out good-to-great records for two decades, with nary a misstep. Still, they don’t seem to be mentioned often among the genre’s elite. It’s understandable, then, that Bayside’s late career resurgence could go relatively unnoticed by casual pop-punk goers. 2019’s
Interrobang might’ve been their best album outright, and now
There Are Worse Things Than Being Alive takes that formula and continues to sharpen the blade. Their recent fusion of ultra infectious pop-punk and heavier metallic riffs has invigorated the band, all while seeing them reach what is arguably their finest hour as a band.
Highlights are aplenty here and there is no shortage of bangers that sound better the louder you play them. Opener ‘Devils’ goes harder than a “pop-punk” tune has any right to, ‘Castaway’ culminates in a slick and elaborate electric guitar solo, and the chorus on ‘Go to Hell’ soars as high as any of the group’s best. Once you get past the album's tremendous opening run, there's still plenty to uncover: the excellent lead riff on 'Miracle', the upbeat pessimism of 'Say So Long', and the gorgeously melodic chords late on 'Bad Intentions'. The penultimate 'Just Like Home' is perhaps the best combination of
There Are Worse Things Than Being Alive's assets, showcasing amazing guitars and drumming alongside some of Raneri's best vocals on the record - including a jaw-dropping swell as the track nears its conclusion. Even the last song on the LP, which employs those ever-dreaded
woah-ohs, manages to do so in a way that feels uplifting and conclusive. Suffice to say, there are very few misses across the album's brief runtime.
If there’s a downside to this release it’s mostly just the lengthy rollout itself, as many of these songs were heard well in advance thanks to
The Red EP and
The Blue EP, which spanned 2022-2023. As a collection of songs, however, this deserves to be mentioned among Bayside’s best.
There Are Worse Things Than Being Alive is a tour de force of emo, pop-punk, and metal influences that is effortlessly dynamic and unrelenting in quality. It manages to sound heavier, bolder, and more confident without sacrificing the band’s core identity or penchant for earworm melodies. In other words, over twenty years into their career, they somehow just keep getting better.
