Four Letter Lie
Let Your Body Take Over
7.5
As I sit here listening to Four Letter Lie’s Let Your Body Take Over, by all rights, I should hate it passionately. The band even goes so far as to call itself glam on their MySpace page (let’s get that website going, boys), which is just another misleading statement among many. From the appearance of the album itself, to the band members, and the absurdly juvenile song titles, it seems like this Minnesota 5-piece have done just about everything in their power to stretch their necks across the chopping block. So it is with great resentment that I am forced to put my axe away, and admit, for the genre, that this is a damn good offering.
Is it emo? It sure fucking is, unashamedly as well. The major issues I have with this genre usually lay with the pussified execution of a lot of the vocals, and the derivative nature of the music itself. While those two qualities might constitute the majority of the scene’s natural habit, Four Letter Lie is neither pussified, nor derivative, and they are in fact a very competent bunch of songwriters. It’s as if they’re on the same road as Protest The Hero, but driving in the slow lane, style-wise. These guys really have a fantastic sense of melody and hook, and their songs have a wise quality about them while not trying too sound overly mature. You can tell what their target audience is, young listeners who love easy to follow music, with just enough youthful rage to allow for a little release of pent-up angst.
Not only does Four Letter Lie provide this in abundance, they also do it with a professional attitude, which reaches far beyond their years. I have the feeling these kids have grown up with parents who have very good taste in music of all kinds, from classic rock, to metal and hardcore. Because even when things become as radio-friendly as the band is capable of performing, such as “Firecracker”, the songs don’t lament upper/middleclass woe in any sort of insipid way. Kevin Skaff has a great singing voice and actually puts both of his nuts into it (I assume he has two, unless there was a tricycle accident somewhere in his past), and as a result, really stands out in the scene as someone to keep an ear out for in the future. It’s nice to hear clean vocals that don’t sound like the guy just smashed his thumb with a hammer all the time.
“Tell Me About Everything” is one of the best songs I’ve ever heard in the genre, ever. There is a wispy ambience hidden within this track, crossing back and forth between the emergence of thickly heavy grooves, and infectious vocal structures where a harsher hardcore growl makes it’s presence known. “Cowboys And Indians” is another deceptive track that showcases the incredible dynamic songwriting abilities Four Letter Lie possess, again adding some crushingly heavy rhythm into a confident and unpretentious melodic touchstone, with varying vocals that compliment rather than distract.
These kids can fucking write, and they can play, and they sound great doing both. They flex muscle on “Full Tilt Boogie”, they put together some of the most brain-gnawingly catchy singing patterns in their choruses (“Feel Like Fame”), and throw out some of the best contemporary rock I’ve heard this year (”The Ordinary Life”) for a band of this ilk. I’m very happy to have signed up for this review, and with no shame in the end, I have no choice but to acknowledge the superior quality of Let Your Body Take Over in comparison to the rest of Four Letter Lie’s emo/melodic hardcore peers. One of the best, most understated releases from Victory this year. I’m really digging this album.
