Wither Away - I Won't Find Hope In You - Album Review

Wither Away - I Won’t Find Hope In You - Independent

Track List:

1. April (Spring Is Coming)

2. Kagune (Ruin Me)

3. Shadow Form

4. I Won’t Find Hope In You (Feat. Ricky Armellino of HAWK) - Single

5. The Town Where Only I Am Missing

6. Persona (Feat. Hotel Books)

7. Dark Room

8. Cherish Your Friends - Single

9. Stigmatized

10. Your Name.

After four years, Reading PA's Wither Away has returned with an ambitious follow-up to their debut EP. This time, they demand to be heard, and I recommend you listen. 

Right away, an interesting note when it comes to the visual representation of Wither Away, in most cases since the start of the band, a pagoda has been a strong structure utilized in their first singles to their debut EP 'The Words We Live By, The Actions We Don't Take.' But now, on the cover of 'I Won't Find Hope In You,' the pagoda is set ablaze. Is it now a symbol of the desecration of inner peace, the destruction of what we believe is valuable in this world, or destroying that part of you that was holding you back? 

It's challenging to put Wither Away into a musical category because they utilize multiple genres very well. At times, there are flashes of an emo-rock band, melodic post-hardcore, or even alternative rock. But what does it all really mean? Really, it means they're comfortable making whatever music they want, and it shows in IWFHIY. From the instrumentation moving from melodic to aggressive to the clean (singing) vocals to out of nowhere uncleans (screams), Wither Away keeps you on your toes and, more importantly, keeps your attention. JJ's vocals are strong while showing weakness in the storyline while weaving multiple vocal disciplines into a cohesive story. The instrumentation is dynamic, drives when needed, and creates an atmosphere integral to making that comprehension through the album.

Tracks range from discussions, almost conversations asking questions of depression, religion, and does belonging even exist? The fourth wall is even broken in the track 'I Won't Find Hope In You' as you're told, "I wish that I was only writing lyrics when I said that I don't like having fun. Depressed but now I see there's beauty in this melody". I recommend listening to the album while reading the lyrics to capture any nuances that may have been missed.

In the track' Stigmatized,' JJ repeats lines towards the end of the track with the solo backing of guitar-only in a melodic fashion. More instruments join in, and JJ's vocals become more pleading and emotional. He screams, "You're dead to me," his last line and almost every other band would kick everything into high gear to either restart the chorus or get one more semi-breakdown squeezed in, but Wither Away doesn't, and instead, play out more melodically and calm. That's confidence in one's musical direction. 

That's one of the keys to IWFHIY, confidence. In every facet, Wither Away has made an engrossing album built like the pagoda with confidence. Confidence in their musical ability to draw you in, keep you on your toes, create an atmosphere, and tell a compelling story.

Not only did Ricky Armellino (HAWK, Ice Nine Kills) mix and produce the album (a fantastic job of keeping tone and ambiance), but he also added his featuring abilities, as did Hotel Books. Both features add an extra layer to the dynamics of IWFHIY and fit in nicely. The only things that ever felt out of place were small autotuned pop flourishes in the final track 'Your Name.'. It's nothing that would ruin the track; it just feels out of place with the tone of the rest of the album.

I have been a fan of Wither Away since their debut EP, but they added another dimension to their abilities with 'I Won't Find Hope In You.' The album's flow is precise, layered, and the balance of singing and screaming is unrivaled. You'll never feel like you're worn out or following the same template set by others. The band has genuinely made something personal of their own and shared it with an audience.

Wither Away has done anything but, with their new full-length release, 'I Won't Find Hope In You.' Make sure you listen and support them. 

Website (Pre-Order/Order ‘I Won’t Find Hope In You’)

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HAWK - Tolerance's Paradox - EP Review

HAWK - Tolerance's Paradox - EP - Independent

Track List:

1. CLVRMFKR

2. Mileage (1st Single)

3. King With No Survivors

4. Alibi (3rd Single)

5. Counter Ops (2nd Single)

6. Universes

HAWK's debut EP 'Tolerance's Paradox' is undoubtedly no paper tiger.

December can often be a strange time to release music, and with a global pandemic to boot, this December could be the most bizarre yet. In our music scene, one thing that has always baffled me about November and December is that many people already have their "best of the year" lists completed. Nothing is ever in concrete, I'm sure, but every year there's bound to be a surprise release that, for lack of a better cliche, comes out of nowhere. This December is no different as HAWK releases their debut EP 'Tolerance's Paradox' TODAY!

For anyone unfamiliar with HAWK or want some backstory, HAWK is the "evolution" of This Or The Apocalypse (TOTA). "Evolution" is in quotes because HAWK seems to be the manifestation of a band that learned many lessons over its' four full-length album career. After many labels, personnel changes, and sound changes, HAWK has emerged with no label, two original members (Ricky Armellino and Jack Esbenshade), and their debut EP of catchy, post-hardcore/alternative tracks, one of the most exciting and unique of 2020. 

(PS - Drawing a blank? You may have seen Ricky playing guitar and singing back-up for Ice Nine Kills in recent years) 

Even the EP's title, 'Tolerance's Paradox,' is thought-provoking. Knowing the lead vocalist Ricky Armellino, it could mean any number of things:

1. Is it a play off of philosopher Karl Popper's paradox of tolerance, which, to paraphrase, is the concept that to be a tolerant society, you must be intolerant to intolerance?

2. Is Tolerance a person's name, and they have a paradox?

3. Is it just a cool title?

4. Insert more ridiculousness here.

I'm willing to go out on a limb and say that I think it's the first one, and not necessarily because it seems intellectual, but because the saying is often applied to a political climate, and more than one track in this release can be interpreted as political. At least one track (Track 5 - Counter Ops) is blatant in its political message of insurgency. But that's not all the release is, nor should you be "turned off" by music that may have a political statement. Come on; this has Ricky screaming and singing. How can you go wrong?

Each track is uniquely it's own. Today's scene bands may make a "heavy" album that gets them popularity and then completely switch to a "softer" genre on their next release, but this isn't what HAWK has done here. They've mixed genres but made each track so different from the next while still being HAWK. That's not an easy feat to accomplish, especially for a band going through a brand revamp. HAWK's strength comes from mood changes, turn of phrases, and dynamic shifts, while still being cohesive. Each song is catchy in different ways, which keeps the listener interested in a very dense and congested scene. Even the three singles released previously (Mileage, Counter Ops, and Alibi) are tracks you won't want to skip while listening to the entire experience.

From an almost spoken-word opening with a bleeped-out expletive to a Dayseeker-esque closer, 'Tolerance's Paradox' keeps you captivated from front to back and is the perfect introduction to new fans and fans that loved TOTA alike. One thing I can say for sure, 2020 might have been a shit year (for many reasons), but as far as music goes, with the addition of 'Tolerance's Paradox,' 2020 is ending the right way, and the future is nothing but bright.

Make sure to support HAWK in all they do by following the links below:

HAWK - Website

HAWK - Facebook

HAWK - Spotify

HAWK - Instagram

HAWK - Twitter