“We blossom in the infinite and we’ve still got our hands wrapped around their necks.”
It goes without saying that the our world right now is in a complicated state. Reeling from many different crises, the struggle feels almost-endless. We are definitely no strangers to artists using music to speak up for the collective hopelessness we face, and with Experience Everything. Live And Die, The Comfort offer their take on this. The alternative rock band from Brisbane employs a blend of post-hardcore, post rock, and melodic hardcore to form their unique sound.
Right off the bat, album opener “Love Is A Dying Plant” hits the ground running. Lamenting about a faded romance, the chorus line “We stopped watering that plant so long ago” give clear meaning to the botanical metaphors. The fourth track, “Love Is A Flourishing Forest (Floresta Florescendo)”, is a direct contrast to this, with opening line “I wanna wake up next to you, every day with a technicolour view,” seemingly painting a new picture of affection found by the song’s protagonist. The album takes on heavier moments sonically as well, demonstrated well on tracks like “Conformist” and “lovechangehopepain”. These tracks ponder on the state of the world and a desire to push for change. Musically, the tracks showcase the range of frontman Liam Holmes well, transitioning between ballad singing and screams seamlessly, the intensity of the instrumentation raising to match his impassioned delivery without ever going over the top.
“Supernova” is an appropriately named track, being a reflective piece about self-discovery. It’s a hopeful song, one that views the challenges and struggles of life in an optimistic light — an encouragement that we could probably all use. It also features a verse from AJ Perdomo of The Dangerous Summer. Following tracks “Bloom” and “You” tap into the alternative rock side of the band, also signifying a tone shift for the album. “Bloom” utilizes melancholic, pop punk-esque vocal melodies to deliver another story of heartbreak, with the chorus going “I’m sorry I couldn’t be what you needed.” “You” continues on this path, a slower track that builds slowly as it progresses. Yet another song about a shattered romance, the album’s themes start to show themselves, balancing between stories of personal loss and the state of the world. “Begin Again” continues on the theme of personal reflection, using the metaphor of death and botanical references again to talk about change as a person. “A Sad Song For The End Of The World” takes the album to the end of its sonic lull, a moody ballad that asks the question, “Why are we so happy seeing other people suffering?”
The album goes back into melodic hardcore territory with “Grace”, a somber reminder about privilege and the divide between the rich and the poor. With its use of religious imagery, it paints a picture of the disparity between the developed and the developing. The line “We have grace, so we sin all we like. This place was never meant for the kind” stands out to me poetically, invoking the sense of unfairness that is punctuated by the return of The Comfort‘s more aggressive side.
“Portal” is a short, to-the-point track that is potentially the album at its heaviest. It features an appearance from Dylan Davidson of Deadlights, his powerful and aggressive screams accompanying bassist and vocalist Dominic Harper’s singing. It’s a change of pace that, while noticeable, doesn’t feel out of place. This is stacked right next to album closer “29”, which is coincidentally the longest song on the album. Leading with a minute-long post-rock intro, it doesn’t compromise on lyrical honesty, with lines like, “I spent more time wishing for death than life,” but also adding a touch of optimism with, “I finally feel alive, I don’t wanna die, I don’t wanna die.” It chronicles a journey that the singer goes through to finding their way through hardship and struggle. The instrumentals match perfectly, with distant, reverb-filled tremolos filling the soundscape and creating an euphoric yet melancholic atmosphere.
The album as a whole is a very satisfying listen. Sonically, every note is purposeful and intentional, and it flows beautifully. Every heavy moment is impactful, and the nostalgic melodies used throughout the album create the right emotion to deliver each song. There is hardly any moment where it drags or goes on longer than it needs to. Emotionally, Experience Everything. Live And Die taps into many familiar and relatable sentiments that the listener can connect to and get lost in. Through the reflections about life and love, it expresses emotion in a straightforward yet creative manner. In an ever-chaotic world, this album is a poignant piece on the experiences of life.
9/10
Experience Everything. Live And Die releases November 11th via Greyscale Records, and you can pre-order it here. You can read our feature and interview with The Comfort here.