Free Throw
Bear Your Mind


4.0
excellent

Review

by Conmaniac USER (72 Reviews)
June 7th, 2017 | 87 replies


Release Date: 2017 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Artificially pleasing.

There’s really not too much to say with Free Throw’s newest album, Bear Your Mind and I think that’s okay. If you’re a fan of their debut LP, Those Days Are Gone, then you’re most likely going to at least appreciate this album as their days of yelling-core emo are far from gone, despite the three-year gap. In all honesty, this sounds like a calculated “maturation” of their sound as it’s obvious they formed an agenda when they asked themselves “where do we go from here?”. Despite appearing somewhat vapid, it’s hard to fault the band since they really did improve many of the things any band would try to advance when deciding to stubbornly plant their feet within the genre of emo. The songwriting is admittedly much tighter as the five-piece restrains themselves from naturally exploding every single song (closer ‘Victory Road’ being the most obvious case). Overall the production is cleaner, the vocal performances are crisper, the guitar tones are well-thought out and the album’s structure is even more deliberate. Even (some of) the lyrics have matured as lead singer Cory Castro no longer wails about failed relationships but rather failed parenting (“At the age of ten//My father showed me//What men are truly made of//And that's what I'm afraid of ") and his own mental vices (“And there's gotta be a way to bring my mind back from the cold ”). Due to the improvements of lyrics, they no longer hit hard because they are cheesy and sing-alongable, but rather because they are depressingly more real and in anguish. Because of all this, it’s an album people should love more than the debut. All the ingredients are there and Free Throw has done a great job of meticulously mixing them all together with precision and care. Yet, I miss the rawness of their earlier days, the unbridled energy and the “I don’t care if this is cliché, I’m fucking dejected” attitude. With that being said, this is no doubt a well-done album, it’s just that I can ever-so-slightly taste the artificial flavoring.



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user ratings (103)
3.5
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
Conmaniac
June 7th 2017


27704 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

this one was super tough since it's really good but somethings missing yknow...also my first 1-paragraph review yay! and my 30th wow! criticism and feedback always welcome (:



stream: https://freethrowemo.bandcamp.com/



3.8/5

Snake.
June 7th 2017


25376 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

met them after a show and the whole band is super chill

Conmaniac
June 7th 2017


27704 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

yeah Snake hung out with them and Marietta's bassist before a show and they were cool af.

and thx bloon, you might dig

Conmaniac
June 7th 2017


27704 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

dude pjorn



thanks

TumsFestival
June 7th 2017


2470 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

I have their debut on clear pink/light purple splatter vinyl and it's beautiful. Great review as always, might have to check

Conmaniac
June 7th 2017


27704 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I have their debut on lavender/olive green which is prob my ugliest looking vinyl tbh but I love it haha. also thx my man, you'd dig this

Atari
Staff Reviewer
June 7th 2017


28009 Comments

Album Rating: 3.7

props for covering this and welcome to the 1-paragraph review club



jamming for the 2nd time rn and gonna read the review after :]

Conmaniac
June 7th 2017


27704 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

feels good man and yeah lemme know what you think!

AsleepInTheBack
Staff Reviewer
June 7th 2017


10447 Comments


great review bud, short and sweet

Conmaniac
June 7th 2017


27704 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

appreciated Asleep (:

onionbubs
June 7th 2017


22172 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

nice review. good album

SteakByrnes
June 7th 2017


30382 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Mind pos my dude, may check

butcherboy
June 7th 2017


9464 Comments


darn good review, good sir, but this album i fancy not..

Conmaniac
June 7th 2017


27704 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

thanks onion n steak! (tasty)



and yeah this wouldn't be an album I would rec to you butcher...appreciate ya reading tho man

SteakByrnes
June 7th 2017


30382 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

That sounds delicious right now, my word

anat
Contributing Reviewer
June 7th 2017


5830 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

a fine review for a 1 para - listening now

Conmaniac
June 7th 2017


27704 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

cheers anatelier! lemme know what ya think!

Atari
Staff Reviewer
June 7th 2017


28009 Comments

Album Rating: 3.7

that closing trio of tracks from dead reckoning to victory road is probably my favorite part of the album but also depressing as hell

TumsFestival
June 7th 2017


2470 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

digging that they're not relying on screams nearly as much this time around

Conmaniac
June 8th 2017


27704 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

yeah less yells but emotion is still mostly there



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