Emotive punk rockers Sorority Noise are set to release their new album You’re Not As __ You Think on 17th March. The album, much like some of their previous work, is an intimate, emotional look into the last year of the bands life. Whilst emotional and in places dark this album has an underlying theme of hope and fighting, pulling through the dark times that life throws at you.
Sorority Noise use this album as a platform to showcase why many consider them to be one of the best in their genre. The journeys this album takes you on owe a lot to the brilliant lyricism of frontman Cameron Boucher. The lyrics will paint a picture of the dark and uncomfortable places that life can leave you in. To this extent this is a highlight of the album which when immersed in puts you in the shoes of Cameron Boucher and whilst personal, these lyrics are also relatable. This relatability is particularly relevant when the underlying theme of hope comes in to play and leaves you in the knowledge that whilst life can be tough there is always hope and way out. A highlight for this theme of hope comes from the track Where Are You which is an upbeat singalong anthem, which whilst discussing death and loss, the constant theme of staying alive and to be still standing, makes this track a highlight of the whole album.
With lyricism of this quality it can be easy to overlook the musicianship and structuring of the songs on this album. However it is the musicianship in this album which provides the perfect canvas for the lyrics to be showcased. The structuring of the songs allow the meaning and pictures painted by the lyrics to be further enhanced. Once again it is how the theme of hope is portrayed within the changes of tempo which are the highlight of this album, ensuring that the dark and emotionally heavy songs don’t leave you wallowing in sadness but instead with a new found motivation to tackle the issues in your life.
This album contains some of the best work of Sorority Noise’s career. The journeys through pain and struggle that this album takes you on, are immersive and intense. However the feeling you are left with after listening to this album is one of optimism. A feeling that no matter what life throws at you, whether it death, mental illness or any other issue, there is always a way through the pain and a light at the end of the tunnel.