Jared Kaufman
03/29/06, 08:51 AM
Burns Out Bright – Save Yourself A Lifetime
Release Date: March 28th, 2006
Record Label: Deep Elm
Honestly, I had never heard of this band before this record. I only heard of them and the album because I saw a handful of kids discussing it numerous times in our General Forum. One person in particular (you know who you are) always had a certain line in her away message that always left me intrigued. Upon discussing where the line came from, why she loved that lyric, etc. I became curious. I’m a very passionate person, especially when it comes to music; so, if someone is the same way about a certain release it sparks my interest. After hearing this album and spending some time with it, I can understand completely what they were “fussing” about.
This record isn’t going to be for everyone. Right away I can tell a lot of people will be put off due to their lengthy song titles and the lengths of the songs themselves. Hopefully some of you can put those elements behind you and actually give this an honest and fair assessment, even if it doesn’t click the first time. That’s right, it may take a few attempts; I didn’t by any means love this upon the first or second listen. However, aren’t those kinds of albums the ones we end up declaring the best and some of our favorites?
Save Yourself a Lifetime starts off with the seven minute track, “The World Is Going To Hell. We Don’t Have a Record Deal and I’ve Never Had a Better Time In My Life,” which begins with a very mellow, melodic and dreamlike sequence of guitar. It starts off slow and takes awhile to climax, but things build up until you reach an ocean of well-placed bass and drumming to fill things out. The theme in the lyrics throughout this song sum up one of the main themes of the album: the problems within “the scene” in regards to such things as lack of passion among bands, being more concerned with image, etc. Everything about this record, from the words to the music, is blunt and in your face, I’m sure plenty of you won’t be able to take it. It touches on other issues as well, so don’t think this is just about calling other bands or the scene out. Now, you might be wondering how they pull off such a long song, but no need to worry. The band keeps you interested from beginning to end with the intro we described, punching verses, dueling vocals, and a bridge and ending (“you’re all a part of the scenery to me”) soaked in melody. In fact, all of the songs that exceed 4 ½ or 5 minutes never letdown and have enough diversity in them to keep your ears peeled and close to the speaker the entire time.
One of the standout tracks, “Replication Is the Highest Form of Replication,” has so much to offer that I find myself listening to this track over and over and more so than any of the others. You might as well say it’s my favorite on the effort. The 3 ½ minute ending would make all you Clarity fans proud. Instrumental music can be just as emotional (see: “Goodbye Sky Harbor” ending, Explosions In The Sky) as songs that include words; striking a feeling within you that you cannot really explain verbally, but the moods and thoughts flow with the blood in your veins, and the look on your face or the thoughts in your head say it all. I’d rate this sequence right up there with the examples I gave; yes, it’s that good.
“The Michael Keaton Backlash” is such an electrifying song with the little vibrating guitar after the first verse (I seriously don’t know how to explain this in words; you have to hear it for yourself) that drops into acoustic and kicks back into the dynamic it began with for verse two. This track ends perfectly gliding into the next one, “Sincerely I,” which is probably my second favorite out of all of them; another example of how to blend your own creativity and influences for a sound that doesn’t scream rip-off.
The album never lets up as it chugs from one song to the next. Everything from the second track, “Optimistic Nihilistic,” which has such a raunchy, obnoxious vibe (mostly because of the vocals) to the concluding, “Remember Son, All of This Will Be Yours,” makes for a record chock full of sing-a-long anthems with words more than worthy for away messages and profiles. These guys have perfected a sound that mixes everything from punk to emo to hardcore to indie. So many bands try to spice up their music by including so many elements, but majority of them fall flat on their face and end up creating a huge mess. Burns Out Bright, however, have mastered a sound which includes a mix of so many styles (I hear elements of Thursday, Jimmy Eat World, Alkaline Trio, etc. in certain aspects and parts throughout the whole album -- I’m sure you could point out many others) without over doing it, and while still incorporating a flavor of their own that resulted in something that is totally their own. If any band has the right to put a sticker on the front of their CD that says anything along the lines of “Sounds Like” so and so or “For Fans of” so and so, then it’d be Burns Out Bright.
This album is by no means perfect as the strictly instrumental track, "I Just Want You To Know I Hate Each One of You For Completey Different Reasons," doesn't offer as much as this band is capable of, especially after hearing the instrumental work throughout the album that left me in awe. Also, the production could be a bit better seeing as the guitars tend to be toned to high and the vocals seem a bit low at times. However, none of that drastically affects the total outcome and experience for me. Hopefully, you can hear this and be as moved by it as I was. Like I said, don't let your ADD get the best of you; it may take some time, but the lasting result is more than worth it; I, for one, am in love (with it).
Release Date: March 28th, 2006
Record Label: Deep Elm
Honestly, I had never heard of this band before this record. I only heard of them and the album because I saw a handful of kids discussing it numerous times in our General Forum. One person in particular (you know who you are) always had a certain line in her away message that always left me intrigued. Upon discussing where the line came from, why she loved that lyric, etc. I became curious. I’m a very passionate person, especially when it comes to music; so, if someone is the same way about a certain release it sparks my interest. After hearing this album and spending some time with it, I can understand completely what they were “fussing” about.
This record isn’t going to be for everyone. Right away I can tell a lot of people will be put off due to their lengthy song titles and the lengths of the songs themselves. Hopefully some of you can put those elements behind you and actually give this an honest and fair assessment, even if it doesn’t click the first time. That’s right, it may take a few attempts; I didn’t by any means love this upon the first or second listen. However, aren’t those kinds of albums the ones we end up declaring the best and some of our favorites?
Save Yourself a Lifetime starts off with the seven minute track, “The World Is Going To Hell. We Don’t Have a Record Deal and I’ve Never Had a Better Time In My Life,” which begins with a very mellow, melodic and dreamlike sequence of guitar. It starts off slow and takes awhile to climax, but things build up until you reach an ocean of well-placed bass and drumming to fill things out. The theme in the lyrics throughout this song sum up one of the main themes of the album: the problems within “the scene” in regards to such things as lack of passion among bands, being more concerned with image, etc. Everything about this record, from the words to the music, is blunt and in your face, I’m sure plenty of you won’t be able to take it. It touches on other issues as well, so don’t think this is just about calling other bands or the scene out. Now, you might be wondering how they pull off such a long song, but no need to worry. The band keeps you interested from beginning to end with the intro we described, punching verses, dueling vocals, and a bridge and ending (“you’re all a part of the scenery to me”) soaked in melody. In fact, all of the songs that exceed 4 ½ or 5 minutes never letdown and have enough diversity in them to keep your ears peeled and close to the speaker the entire time.
One of the standout tracks, “Replication Is the Highest Form of Replication,” has so much to offer that I find myself listening to this track over and over and more so than any of the others. You might as well say it’s my favorite on the effort. The 3 ½ minute ending would make all you Clarity fans proud. Instrumental music can be just as emotional (see: “Goodbye Sky Harbor” ending, Explosions In The Sky) as songs that include words; striking a feeling within you that you cannot really explain verbally, but the moods and thoughts flow with the blood in your veins, and the look on your face or the thoughts in your head say it all. I’d rate this sequence right up there with the examples I gave; yes, it’s that good.
“The Michael Keaton Backlash” is such an electrifying song with the little vibrating guitar after the first verse (I seriously don’t know how to explain this in words; you have to hear it for yourself) that drops into acoustic and kicks back into the dynamic it began with for verse two. This track ends perfectly gliding into the next one, “Sincerely I,” which is probably my second favorite out of all of them; another example of how to blend your own creativity and influences for a sound that doesn’t scream rip-off.
The album never lets up as it chugs from one song to the next. Everything from the second track, “Optimistic Nihilistic,” which has such a raunchy, obnoxious vibe (mostly because of the vocals) to the concluding, “Remember Son, All of This Will Be Yours,” makes for a record chock full of sing-a-long anthems with words more than worthy for away messages and profiles. These guys have perfected a sound that mixes everything from punk to emo to hardcore to indie. So many bands try to spice up their music by including so many elements, but majority of them fall flat on their face and end up creating a huge mess. Burns Out Bright, however, have mastered a sound which includes a mix of so many styles (I hear elements of Thursday, Jimmy Eat World, Alkaline Trio, etc. in certain aspects and parts throughout the whole album -- I’m sure you could point out many others) without over doing it, and while still incorporating a flavor of their own that resulted in something that is totally their own. If any band has the right to put a sticker on the front of their CD that says anything along the lines of “Sounds Like” so and so or “For Fans of” so and so, then it’d be Burns Out Bright.
This album is by no means perfect as the strictly instrumental track, "I Just Want You To Know I Hate Each One of You For Completey Different Reasons," doesn't offer as much as this band is capable of, especially after hearing the instrumental work throughout the album that left me in awe. Also, the production could be a bit better seeing as the guitars tend to be toned to high and the vocals seem a bit low at times. However, none of that drastically affects the total outcome and experience for me. Hopefully, you can hear this and be as moved by it as I was. Like I said, don't let your ADD get the best of you; it may take some time, but the lasting result is more than worth it; I, for one, am in love (with it).