By Grayson Hale
When hardcore legends Refused released the now classic album The Shape of Punk to Come back in 1998, few would have foreseen the genre they helped refine going on to become so... well, just generally shite. With the emergence of laughable characteristics such as ‘crabcore’ and a penchant for whiny-bitch vocals, post-hardcore went on to become little more than slightly edgy pop-punk for teens... obviously not something the pioneers had in mind when they first performed it.
However, a few bands continued to fly the flag for intelligent and emotional post-hardcore well into the new millennium. While many of these opted for cross-genre experimentation, letlive. were one of very few bands who were able to make a success of their style by simply playing with passion and fusing their catchiness with emotional resonance. The Blackest Beautiful is the latest release from the Los Angeles group, and fans of the critically-acclaimed Fake History will not be left disappointed.
Once again, Jason Aalon Butler’s vocal performance is the absolute highlight of this release. The similarities to Glassjaw’s Daryl Palumbo are undeniable but to gain such a comparison is no mean feat, and Butler commands The Blackest Beautiful through all of its 45-minute runtime. ‘Banshee (Ghost Fame)’ is the perfect opener to showcase his talents, and it also stands as one of the album’s best tracks. Along with ‘Empty Elvis’ the pair make for an exciting combination to start the album at a blistering pace.
It should be noted at this point that if you’re not a fan of the genre, letlive. are going to do very little to change your mind about it. The core features are all present, so if you’ve never found any enjoyment in screamed verses with cleanly sung choruses or anything vaguely ‘emo’ related, forget about it. This is simply about making great, enjoyable music with an above-average level of depth and cohesion to it.
The Blackest Beautiful may not go down as one of the most innovative records of the year, but it’s certainly one of the most entertaining. If you’re tired of post-hardcore with stale breakdowns and emotionless vocals, give this one a try – you won’t regret it.
