I think I like Schmaltz musically more, but I like BFE lyrically more. I also spent a few years with Schmaltz and only a month with this so my opinion could eventually change.
Schmaltz feels a little quirkier and looking for belonging/place in the world, and feeling like an outsider. Brave Faces feels like dealing with struggles when you don’t belong/feel depressed alone/broken and are trying to ride out the storm. Both good, and a natural progression from one album to the next.
It's interesting, I'm sure a lot of people connect with Brave Faces Everyone for the lyrics about depression and personal connection to that. But for me, it has nothing to do with that, I don't personally connect with that theme. I just really tend to like meaningful lyrics that are sung with great emotion. And this guy sings his FACE OFF. You can feel his hurt, you can feel his anger, you can feel his hopelessness, etc. A singer who can make you feel something, anything, is to be treasured.
Hellllllll yeah. That’s a great lineup too, been wanting to see Dollar Signs for a while and always down to see Future Teens again.
Do we think those blacked out dates are cities where they have yet to play with The Wonder Years, so they can't announce yet?
For all those who have observed / complained this record sounds “samey” - you have a keen ear and a real point. Songs 1-3, 6-7, 9-10 are all written in the key of D flat major. The chords are different but the root chord will always be D flat/C sharp. Kick and Beachfront Property are also back to back and written in E flat, along with Losers pt. 2. That means the entire record can be reduced to two chord structures. It kicks even more ass every day. Early and big-time front runner for AOTY for me, even in front of Tame Impala.
I think I'd call this a 4 star album. It's really really good and the highs are possibly even greater than the highs on Schmaltz (certainly Dylan has clearly developed as a musician), but I do think it sounds a bit samey - I wonder if that is partly because they self-produced it. In any case, they're going to tour off this, hopefully make bank, and keep expanding - like they deserve. EDIT: If I had to make a comparison I would say it's sort of similar to The Wonder Years releasing No Closer to Heaven after TGG, or Menzingers putting out Rented World after OTIP. Still great albums in their own right but just not quite as good as what came before.
genius has the revised lyrics section of brace faces if anyone hasn't seen / worked it out Because we're just so fucking tired If you're not okay I'm feeling lower than anyone They're praying for you I'm tired anyway 'Cause I'm tired Brave faces everyone (Just let me ruin my guts tonight) It can't be this bleak forever Pointing out dead dogs on the road I'm tired anyway This is all you get Hoping all this time but all you find Also I love this song very much
listening to this band for the first time, currently on track 3, and first of all what the fuck this is great
I was a first timer a few weeks ago and now I’m buying stock in the band there are dozens of us dot gif
Been trying to get into this since it came out and I’ve been reserving judgment in case it clicked at some point, but I think I finally have to accept the fact that I don’t like this album. Schmaltz was my favorite album of 2018 and I was really excited for this one, but there’s nothing on here that grabs like that album did. Agree that it’s super samey, especially side A, and the half-time chorus trick that they pull a lot here really gets repetitive after a while. I also liked the lyrics more on Schmaltz, I resonated with that depiction of existential anxiety a lot but I’m not latching into anything here. Idk. Hugely disappointing but proud of the band regardless. Happy that so many people on here dig this, I wish it clicked for me in the same way.
I can understand not enjoying it as much as schmaltz but liking schmaltz and not liking this doesn’t make sense to me.