“It’s hard to live when you’ve always been let down”
Any mention of Angels & Airwaves returns my thoughts back to the late 2000s of listening to We Don’t Need To Whisper and I-Empire on my old iPod. Back when my music taste was primarily curated by what was shown on Kerrang! or Scuzz, followed up by a trip to HMV to pick up the album of whoever had grabbed my attention. Even as I write this review, I have found myself returning to “Everything’s Magic”, a track that in my opinion has stood the test of time. Lifeforms is a follow on from the 2014 release The Dream Walker, which saw the group depart from their well established sound. Going into Lifeforms off the back of singles such as “Euphoria”, Angels & Airwaves may have finally found the sound that was left wanting in the previous release.
“Timebomb” opens with heavy synths and electronica vocals. The track then eases us into catchy riffs and lyrics that have become a staple for Angels & Airwaves over the years. The aforementioned synths are ever-present throughout Lifeforms and pay off to varying degrees. There is a noticeable improvement in the production, with each element sounding crisps and not overbearing. This pays off most noticeably in the second track “Euphoria”, in what is quite possibly the album’s high point.
“Euphoria” is one of those tracks in which each part put into it serves a purpose and it serves it to its strongest. Building into a steady tempo, the synths in the track trade off with a magnetic guitar hook, both hitting that sweet spot. The guitars in this track tease the ears while the backing beat builds up the tension, all of which is paid off at the final stretch of the track. DeLonge’s vocals leading the charge followed by the guitars, drums and synths all fully coming into play to combine for a fitting end. “Euphoria” including those lyrical nuggets with lines such as “It’s hard to live when you’ve always been let down” that A&A have had scattered through their songs since their debut.
What follows in the next handful of tracks is where Lifeforms begins to slightly cool off. “Spellbound” has the cute lyricism and steady sound, but there’s just little to pull you in, leaving a slight filler feeling to it. “No More Guns” and “Losing My Mind” both have titles that giveaway to what will be covered in these tracks. The former being the two more fleshed out, a classic rock beat and hook with lyrical commentary on gun crime which overall sits nicely on the ear. “Losing My Mind” takes the perspective of despair at elected officials that many of us would have had. While I do not disagree with the narrative at hand, the track itself lacks any conviction. Rather than feeling the despondency or anger that DeLonge may have been feeling while writing this song, instead it’s like listening to someone read out their draft tweets with a backing track.
Thankfully, the second half of the album returns us to the idealistic world of Angels & Airwaves. “Automatic” and “Restless Soul”, while on closer listen feel somewhat similar structurally, are both varied enough in sound that they work well as a nice contrast to one another. “Automatic” brings in the first use of acoustic guitar on the track blended in with some low tuning electric guitar, leading to a track that instrumentally captures the ear. “Restless Soul” trades these out for a return of the synths and electronic beats, a heartfelt ballad closing out the chorus with “We will live or give in”.
“Kiss & Tell”, the album’s closer, is the next notable stop on Lifeforms. Both “Rebel Girl” and “A Fire in a Nameless Town” continue on with trends seen throughout the album, and while both do them perfectly fine, there is little of note on either. The track that sees Lifeforms out is in theory the sort of track that I should dislike. It has the cheesy lyrics along with clap beats and well-trodden structure. Yet there’s just something about it that makes me enjoy it. Maybe it’s the simple fact it’s a fun track with lyrics like “It’s a bit so scary”, “It’s a bit of pain” being some I remember most from Lifeforms.
All in all, Lifeforms is a enjoyable album and a return to form for the band with “Euphoria” having potential to be considered one their best tracks of all time. There is plenty to like in this well-rounded album with solid production. The only real pitfalls come on “Losing My Mind” and a few uninteresting tracks between the higher points of the album. Lifeforms will be more than enough for existing fans of Angels & Airwaves, however there might not just be enough on this album to convert the detractors.
7/10