ALBUM REVIEW: The Hard Part – Character Actors

After five years of writing and recording, drinking and playing around, CHARACTER ACTORS have finally blessed the world with their debut full-length record. Capturing their single releases over the last year alongside a variety of other tracks, let’s skip to The Hard Part.

This is the group’s first offering since 2022’s Academy Training Wasted, and the development over the year is one that can be seen – or heard – clear as crystal. Containing that classic pop-punk sound that they have heard years before, they know where they’re heading. The path was paved by punks; the footsteps grow deeper as they follow along the trail. Where’s God Etc. is a great example of this. The first single released for the record, it feels copied and pasted from 2003 into the present scene. It’s got a sound that would make BLINK-182 jealous, one that’s akin to that of early-days FALL OUT BOY. These guys have studied hard and thoroughly, and their workings out are written within every track.

27 Club Rejection Letter is an interesting listen on the record. With duelling vocals alongside an active strumming pattern of a guitar, it conveys strong unedited emotion simply through this stripped-back nature. This is a pure demonstration of the versatility within the emo scene; it can be loud and angry, or broken down to the very basics. Just a man and his instrument against the world. His words as his defence. His riffs working as his ammunition.

Following on to the more upbeat Growing Up To Do, these elements come together as a perfect duo. Bouncing off each other in a way, as the latter serves as the opposition of the former. Danceable, mosh-worthy, and disguising the emotion rather than showing it off. Also with the self-explanatory theme of growing up and learning, it comes across as the generic run-of-the-mill coming-of-age alternative anthem that the world grew up with. But generic is never a poor descriptor within the emo and pop-punk sectors.

Closing off on Centrepiece, a softer offering in the ears and the heart, this is the positive spin the band needed to conclude with; hopeful and heavenly, rocking and romantic. The vocalising within the bridge, or the sweetly spoken/sang lyrics; there is a secret to this track’s success. What that may be is unknown. It will be unknown for an undetermined amount of time. This means they can master the magic they’re creating in peace and privacy.

CHARACTER ACTORS have shown that between two Februarys they have been able to showcase the highs and lows of their genre much more and have found the route to go down. The path they have chosen is full of opportunity. Don’t let that path go unexplored.

Rating: 7/10

The Hard Part is out now via self-release.

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