Album Review
letlive. – The Blackest Beautiful
In 2010, letlive. released their second album, Fake History. Epitaph Records caught wind of it, signed them immediately and re-released the record – to critical acclaim. Many hailed Fake History as an instant classic, frontman Jason Butler as one of the most exciting in the scene and were waiting, poised, to see what letlive. would do next.
Now with the release of The Blackest Beautiful, we see what letlive. are made of. They are far from a one trick pony, as the current LP shows. Opener, and lead single Banshee (Ghost Fame) kicks the album into gear and the feral vibe doesn’t stop there. Butler’s garish lyrics are only bested by his voice, one which switches from soothing vocals to terrorizing shriek in an instant. His range is unparalleled, and his on stage persona is one to be reckoned with.
But this is not the Jason Butler album, as the rest of the band hold their own behind the front runner. The haunting guitar on Virgin Dirt showing the power of Jeff Sahyoun and Jean Nascimento, while Ryan Johnson’s bass is most evident on Pheromone Cvlt.
The album itself is more polished than it’s predecessor, which comes hand in hand with having a major label behind you. But in gaining this, The Blackest Beautiful does lose some of the punch seen in Fake History. While the previous LP left you wanting to run around and break things, this leaves for a more matured listen and a more rounded sound. While a step in the right direction, it’s not the letlive. we know.
That said, the pros far out weigh the cons of this record. Album closer 27 Club is just a massive tune, one worth it’s 7 and a half minute length, while songs such as Younger and the aforementioned Virgin Dirt are sure fire classics in the letlive. repertoire. And one only needs to listen to White America’s Beautiful Black Market once to realize what this album is about.
It seems that post-hardcore finally has its posterboy in Jason Butler, who is a worthy man for the crown. This is a band well known for their live show, and they have somehow brought this ferocity onto record. It may not be the record we were expecting out of letlive., but it is better than most we will be getting this year.
Download: Banshee (Ghost Fame), Virgin Dirt, White America’s Beautiful Black Market, 27 Club
Venue: The Blackest Beautiful
Support Band: Epitaph Records