"Give a listen to 'The Love Life' and join in these lyrically deep stories that will almost make you feel what Swindle has felt over the past few years"
-
Must Listen
By Bruna Cucolo
Recommended songs: “40oz,” “Mattress On The Floor,” and “These Streets”
The Baltimore, MD alternative rock band has released a new album titled The Love Life. This is the band’s fourth full-length album and it might just be the most special and personal one yet. Singer and guitarist Brian Swindle previously shared what this record is all about, saying that it contains lyrics about things he has been going through within the last couple of years of his life and how he felt through it all. The Love Life’s sound is what fans are already familiar with, and it does have some emo rock vibes to it.
The album begins with the track “We Ain’t Got Love.” It has a nice, soft acoustic guitar intro where the listener can ease their way into the album. A little halfway through this song, the music becomes more powerful with drums kicking in. This track expresses coping in a situation where, as the lyrics go, “you ain’t got enough to keep me around.” It represents a time where he (Swindle) didn’t stay because the other person did not have strong enough feelings to keep him there.
Another personal track is “Clair.” In this one, Swindle sings of needing love and his chest having a hole. At the beginning of this song, it has a dreamy sound to it which is different than the other tracks found on The Love Life.
In “Just Fine,” he asks, “What do you want from me?” He affirms that he will be there if needed, but if they do not need him, he will be just fine and for the other to not cry. This song is slower, but also the second shortest song off the album. Although not very long, the track is very powerful and moving. Its melody is soft and slow, it calms you down even though the lyrics are about struggling.
The very last track is titled “8006 Hedgeway CT.,” a more abnormal name for a song. This is the shortest song of the whole album. With a storytelling feel of the music, it is a splendid way to end the album. It helps bring the album together as a whole, each song being a story of what Swindle has been dealing with in the recent years.
The record has almost a constant tone to it, but at the same time, each song has its own unique sound, some being more powerful than others. With 11 tracks total, one may think this is unusual, for a lot of albums do not have this many songs these days, but Have Mercy was able to accomplish this challenge of giving their listeners a long enough storytelling piece of work. Give a listen to The Love Life and join in these lyrically deep stories that will almost make you feel what Swindle has felt over the past few years.
