Album Review: Sorority Noise – ‘You’re Not As ____ As You Think’

Emo four-piece Sorority Noise have been climbing higher and higher in the scene over the past few years with the release of their debut album, Forgettable, and, 2015’s follow up ‘Joy, Departed’. Since forming in 2013 the band have been on numerous US tours and festival appearances, sharing the stage with bands including Turnover, Modern Baseball and Citizen. They have also made their way overseas to the UK and Europe for the first time. 

Friday 17^th March saw the release of the quartet's third album ‘You’re Not As ___ As You Think’ via Triple Crown Records. An album that is heavily centred around the struggles of mental health and the loss of loved ones. Consisting of ten songs that are pained with raw and honest emotion and an altogether mournful undertone. Despite this, the message that Sorority Noise have managed to deliver with their third album is still an uplifting one that has hope at the forefront: tell people you love them while you still can and never be afraid to reach out for help. This isn’t a record to be brushed by; to be a soundtrack in the background of day-to-day activities. This is a record to be concentrated on, to be listened to from front to back with no distractions. In short, if you’re going to completely immerse yourself in a new album, make it this one.

The contrast between the bright, uplifting instrumental and the bleak lyricism is what carries the album but vocalist, Cameron Boucher’s, brutal honesty is what makes the record such a fulfilling listen. ‘You’re Not As ___ As You Think’ is the follow-up to 2016’s ‘It Kindly Stopped for Me’ EP that was dedicated to a close friend that Boucher had lost. This album serves as the next step as Boucher delves even further into the emotions felt when dealing with grief. Recorded with producer Mike Sapone, who’s back-catalogue consists of Brand New and Taking Back Sunday. ‘YNA_AYT’ is not unlike the former’s second breakthrough album ‘Deja Entendu’. 

              

Album opener ‘No Halo’ showcases Sorority Noise doing what they do best with a loud chorus layered with jangly guitars as Boucher speaks of missing his friend’s funeral and driving to their house instead. The track closes with him questioning ‘So when you show up to my funeral, will you be wearing white or black?’. Boucher’s questioning within his lyrics is a theme that is followed throughout the entire album. This is particularly demonstrated in ‘Second Letter from St. Julien’ where he questions and tests religion throughout stating ‘If there’s a God do I make him proud?’ before directing his narrative to the friend whom the song is named after asking instead ‘If you’re with God am I making you proud by waking up each day?’

‘A Portrait Of’ sees the second reference, of many, to heaven. With a palm-muted guitar under-laying the vocal melody. The song delves into a hopeful territory as Boucher delivers a spoken word monologue over a heavily distorted outro where he states ‘I have to do everything in my power to be the person I can be and live my life the best way I can.’  

‘Where Are You’ and ‘Car’ present a conversational narrative with the former speaking of wounds being healed and offering a sense of closure. The latter, an empathetic song about the struggles that come with mental health issues and facing grief, delivering a comfort that is; even when you’re feeling completely alone in your struggles there are always people feeling the same way.

Debut single ‘A Better Sun’ is a spoken word track with every lyric beginning with the phrase ‘This is the part where…’ in this vein the song is similar to the teaser video the band previously released for the record, which displays the album title being painted and then the blank being filled in with words including ‘hurt’, ‘happy’ and ‘empty’. The way ‘A Better Sun’ is structured lyrically makes the listener feel as if they could be filling in the blanks at the end of the phrase. It’s a song that is bound to make you feel like a part of the album.  

Penultimate track ‘Leave the fan On’ delivers the most downbeat performance on the record with a simple slow instrumental and a set of lyrics that feel as if Boucher is searching for a direction, answers and purpose within them, all while remembering ‘what it’s like to feel the vacancy’ in his chest. The song kicks into a strong instrumental towards its end in a cathartic outburst that feels like a complete outpour and reflection of every emotion that has been displayed throughout the rest of the album.

By creating an album title that allows the listener to complete its name therefore making it relate all the more directly, ‘You’re Not As ___ As You Think’ is bound to leave an effect on everyone who listens. With a sense of unafraid honesty Sorority Noise have managed to create ten songs that pull you through the process of loss and grief in an album that leaves you with a sense of comfort upon its ending, and, an album that people will surely come back to time and time again to realize that comfort.