I’ll start this review off from almost the end of the album when in ‘Dead Friends’ Stacey Dee sings “So try to love your life, While you can”.  When reading the PR for this the bands fourth album release it mentions this as a defining moment of the album and why this means so much, and yes I would 100% agree that this is how this album rolls, its a look at life, how taking what you have, and living it to the fullest you can, is something these songs embody to the hilt.

Lighten Up is an album that says what better way to live your life, when the hard times come knocking and your world seems tough, just imagine how you can change things. ‘All Together Now’ strikes up on how unity with your fellow man can be a way through almost everything, a powerful ode with a vocal that screams togetherness. This feeling of friendship being the way forward for even the hardest of times, comes through with brutal honesty when you take in the huge note to self of ‘Straight Out Of Detox’, if you believe in yourself, this can be pivotal in learning that the fight is yours, so own it.

With so much hurt and pain in the world, having to live through trauma, anxiety, trials that feel never ending, and on top of this existing in a world that struggles to be what you’d hoped for.  This album for all of its stories of hardship has quite the opposite effect on your outlook, its uplifting and anthemic, ‘See Me Now’ is one of those life defining moments, when you look back at bad choices, mistakes made, all mixed up with the regret of losing someone you cared for who is not around to see how you have turned things around. And how proud they would/could be, and this all wrapped up in a stunningly heart felt vocal assault that rocks you to the core.

I made it half way through this album before I realised just how great it is musically as well as vocally, you get so wrapped up in the stories that are unfolding around you, the band are guilty of being so damn good that only when you tear yourself away from the narrative and take a step back, do you realise how perfectly the music wraps it self around each song, edgy when it needs to be, understanding and gentle at times, uplifting to the the hilt, and most of all happy and foot tapping at all the right moments.

I’m not going to give up all the plots from the rest of this album, that would be just like spoiling a good book before you even open it, but a shout out has to go to where we started this review ‘Dead Friends’ is a song of pure sadness, that’s been turned into a live your life now, don’t regret anything.  Oh and of course the Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros cover ‘Johnny Appleseed’ which sits so perfectly at the the end

Listen to this over and over again, “never judge a book by its cover” can and is so true of this album, scratch beneath the surface and the layers will reveal themselves, and album of heartbreak and joy all wrapped up in musical energy that soars.

Out via Fat Wreck Chords / Hopeless Records on September 19th

Drop in on the bands WEBSITE for all the details or find them on Facebook

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