Review Summary: "A state of grace is that kind of balance in which you ride the chaos that resides around you."
When I think of the hardcore albums that have maintained a spot on fans' playlists for years on end, I think of frantic, gut wrenching and unpredictable songs grouped together in an emotional outpour. Albums like 'Jane Doe,' 'Travels' and 'We Are The Romans' immediately come to mind. My Fictions is a hardcore band from Massachusetts focused on bringing these same qualities to their music. Their newest release
Stranger Songs is the culmination of fantastic songwriting, piercing vocals and gripping lyrics.
"It's not a matter of resolving the chaos... it's about putting the world in order," rings out some of the commentary in the track 'Concern.' My Fictions is embracing chaos with each track on their album. After the dissonant notes opening the album, the rest of 'Mt. Misery' spirals into a pounding drum beat backing up the dark guitar chords. 'Postcard' is quick tempo'd and never relents the assault. The work behind the drum kit is worth noticing because it helps spawn the panicky mood. 'Wake Anxious' plays just like the title infers, embracing the nature of feeling anxious and shaky. The vocals on this track are delivered in a very urgent way, as if the vocalist might be struck down if he does not get what he has to say off his chest. As the song reaches it's final seconds, the screams grow more desperate. 'Stubborn' sounds straight out of a Converge album, embracing quick chord changes, breakneck drumming and feedback to fill any gaps.
Stranger Songs ends with a more melodic hardcore feel. The echo'd lead guitar adds a new depth to the discordant chords. The theme that closes the album gets ingrained in the mind because of its somber presence. The familiar conversation piece is brought back to light, leaving the listener with the line "How can you be a good poet and not care about something." Well sir, if you listened to the emotional outpour of My Fictions that happened in the last 28 minutes, you would understand.
