Sorority Noise Hits Hard and Personally In "You're Not As _____ As You Think"

The cries of today's brand of emo punk resonates deep into the cores of many listeners. Near the top of the hierarchy of bands who bare out their souls like this are Sorority Noise, and they dig deep and hard in this new record of theirs. You're Not As _____ As You Think hits hard and personally, giving a voice to sum emotions that may be hard to express otherwise.

Before the album really gets to the emotional tracks, it starts off pretty optimistically. 'No Halo' is an optimistic, anthemic track full of bustling energy. The vocals sound lazy to start with, which is usually a problem I have with the genre, but when the chorus kicks in and the contrast between Cameron Boucher's unphased vocals and his powerful, pleading screams really shows, it's hard to deny that they have a place in this record. 'A Portrait Of' follows through with similarly energetic anger, bursting into a ball of fire at the end.

Then the real emotional weight starts hitting in. 'First Letter From St. Sean' comes in like a bulldozer, Boucher singing with pure depression in his voice as the instrumental drearily accompanying it as if it were as damaged as the vocals. The song sounds fully gone and lost, but it slowly builds up as Boucher reminds himself "there's so much more to life... I'm alive cause I'm alive inside of this" and the instrumental picks up momentum in the slightest bit with a glimmer of hope. The song has a successor later on in the record, the 'Second Letter From St. Julien' that rings with a similar decadence, but sounds more matured and experienced. After the song's initial release, a more optimistic sound comes through with pangs of energy that build into a rocking and angry track, as if to let go of all emotions of the past and burst through with a new fire.

The rest of the album tells a lot of different stories. 'Car' is a sad story about a relationship falling apart, opening with the powerful yet simple conversation: "Eighteen minutes ago you called me on my phone / You said, 'I'm sorry, why do I feel so alone?' / I said, 'I'm sorry, is there anything that I can do?' / You said, 'Care about me like you used to'" before the song falls back and forth between powerful guitars and quiet verses. 'Disappeared' precedes it with similar sweetness and a small-town vibe to it.

Sorority Noise really bared it all in this new record. They sing of the sincerest situations, both depressed and full of bliss, and managed to infuse all of the right moments of energy and calmness into each track. You're Not As _____ As You Think hits hard and personally, and will definitely be hitting you in the heartstrings where you least expect it to. You live through the words of this album, and you'll find comfort in it.

Favorite Tracks: First Letter From St. Sean, No Halo, Car

Least Favorite Track: Where Are You?

Rating: 87 / 100

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