“Throw my body to God, for heaven’s sake.”
Rarity is a band that, for one reason or another, has largely passed me by. With the exception of a few singles from their previous works, I Couldn’t Be Weaker and The Longest Lonesome, the former of which I had several tracks sneak into daily rotation from, I was certainly not much more than a passive listener, even if I enjoyed the material I had heard. Their latest album, Lower Feeling, however, feels like a different band altogether when held against the material I had previously enjoyed; shedding nuance for a more direct and thematically blunt approach.
From the opening minutes of Lower Feeling, my major gripe with this album becomes clear: the lyrics. The disparity between the instrumentation, vocal delivery, and the lyricism is evident throughout the entire release. Introductory track “Keep It To Yourself” starts strong with catchy instrumentation and vocal melodies, which initially create a sense of optimism. However, this is quickly diminished by the immature and lazy lyrics. The opening line, “If you can’t handle the pressure, get out of the room,” feels like something a high school songwriter might write rather than a seasoned band such as Rarity, leaving a sour taste for what’s to come from the jump.
This issue persists throughout the album, with little to no improvement in the lyrics. Themes that could be addressed with nuance, as in their earlier material, are now handled in a heavy-handed manner. “Brain Dance” exemplifies this, with lyrics that resemble a middle-school English class assignment. Despite a screamed portion in the track that I enjoyed, my hopes for improvement were quickly dashed, as the following cut “Who Gives A Fuck” further disappoints with its jarring chorus and mismatched pacing, disrupting the album’s flow.
Tracks like “Kiss!”, “Sick To My Stomach“ and “New Paint” see a return to the album’s earlier pacing, whilst further offering fun and catchy instrumentals, but it feels a tad ‘too little, too late’. That being said, if there were to be any standouts across Lower Feeling, provided you are able to ignore the lyricism, these may prove some of the most relatively palatable. “Creature Comfort” further sees the return of the album’s dominant style, but ultimately fails to reach a satisfying peak, losing all momentum during the bridge. Aptly named tracks “Shit Eater” and “Ignore Everything” follow, both serving to close the album out at its most lyrically juvenile, and lacking in any and all sense of a true climax.
Overall, Lower Feeling offers little to get excited about. Rarity seems to have lost the nuance and thoughtfulness in their lyricism, which proves annoyingly difficult to ignore, all the while producing an album that feels like it was released for the sake of it. While the instrumentals remain solid at times, and the vocal performance is often commendable, the poor lyricism on display throughout is inexcusable and unavoidable. For fans seeking the Rarity they once knew, this album will likely disappoint.
4/10
Lower Feeling is due for release this Friday, June 7th via self-release and New Damage, and you can find pre-orders for the record here.