Album Review – letlive. – The Blackest Beautiful (2013)

There are few bands out there that manage to set themselves apart from everybody else in such a distinct and effortless way as hardcore pacesetters letlive. The LA band firmly arrived on the global scene with 2010’s dynamic and visceral ‘Fake History’, an album that delivered lively and zealous gems in abundance and a take on punk rock that had almost no comparison in modern music. Frontman Justin Butler drives the band with his chaotic and stirring vocal style, spitting lyrics at a furious pace and only stopping to ooze melodic sincerity, his ability to merge genres second-to-none. Everything from metal to hip-hop to jazz can be heard throughout letlive’s music and it’s a mash-up that works incredibly well, not once surrendering the best elements of those styles, which is not just refreshing and unique, but also surprising. For a band to deliver a sound that’s so crammed full of ideas and it not feel overbearing doesn’t happen very often.

New album ‘The Blackest Beautiful’ takes everything that came before and amplifies it to near breaking point, consistently treading a fine line and at times verging on the utterly ridiculous – and that’s when it becomes apparent just how good this band are. The album is initially a confusing and often challenging experience, with some of the tracks seeming to struggle to find a recognisable groove or direction, but it’s with repeat listens that the sheer genius of this record shines through. What primarily feels unsettling adapts in time as the songs become familiar, every nuance and minor detail slotting into the grand picture, which unveils itself to be something monumental in every sense of the word.

From the frenetic opening of ‘Banshee (Ghost Fame)’ to the sheer intensity of tracks like ‘That Fear Fever’ and ’Empty Elvis’, it’s obvious that letlive. aren’t in the mood to do things by halves and this record definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. The bedlam peaks at such a level that is almost vomit inducing, particularly when Butler is screaming with a certain derangement - his bellows of ‘We get sick so we can feel better’ on ‘White America’s Beautiful Black Market’ and roars of ‘They say home is where the heart is, so where do you keep your bed?’ on ‘Dreamer’s Disease’ noteworthy examples.

This is without doubt a record where the frontman leads by example, his performance as well as his lyrics taking the floor in a much more apparent way than ‘Fake History’. While that isn’t to say this is a vanity project for Butler, who is allowed to run riot with little to no restraint, ‘The Blackest Beautiful’ belongs to him. The instrumentals are fantastic, provoking excitement at almost every turn, however it’s hard to focus on them entirely when the vocals that accompany them are consistently awe-inspiring. When lines such as ‘If you're equating fame to religion, then where’s your faith at?’ on ‘Banshee (Ghost Fame)’ are delivered with such stimulating poise, it’s difficult not to give the singer the majority of the plaudits.

One way to describe Butler’s lyrical attack is anti-establishment poetry, but even that doesn’t quite hit the nail on the head. Every furious verse and soaring chorus is littered with beautiful metaphor, occasionally using sexuality and well-placed expletives to deliver well-rounded opinions about government, consumerism and patriotism. His words resonate in a way that incite passion, which can only elsewhere be experienced in the sweaty eye of the letlive. live show storm, and even if they sometimes feel a little self-indulgent (the likes of ‘When only the good die young, ain't it ironic I age so well’ on ‘Younger), it can be instantly forgiven.

There are calm moments, and it’s during these that the true spectacle of letlive.’s songwriting prowess is on show. This isn’t standard hardcore/punk loud/quiet transition; these are parts that are layered with distinction and swarming with genre-skipping bravery. From the measured build of ‘Virgin Dirt’ (the second half) to the entire playful outro to album closer ’27 Club’, the overall experience of such diversity is a worthwhile pleasure.

‘The Blackest Beautiful’ is an organic musical journey) as pretentious and implausible as that may sound) and needs time to be digested before a fair judgment can be made. That may seem inconceivable in the modern climate where forgettable 3-minute pop songs are at the height of popularity, but once you apply yourself to this album and leave all reservations at the door, it becomes obvious that the depth of this record pushes it to modern classic status, a label that really is deserved.

'The Blackest Beautiful' is available now through Epitaph Records.

The band tour the UK in October 2013.