ALBUM REVIEW: II – Graduating Life

Setting aside the trails and tribulations of the last 18 months, life is hard. Beautiful in its way but hard. Life teaches us to find strength in weakness and happiness in darkness. Spinning a yarn about their own adversity is GRADUATING LIFE who release II on July 9th, via Pure Noise Records.

There’s no denying Bart Thompson’s project is full of spirit. Since starting GRADUATING LIFE in 2017, it’s been Thompson’s songwriting experiment. Yet, as we are about to discover, GRADUATING LIFE has a few more lessons to attend before it can move on.

Photo Album takes us on a journey to the past. While looking back can breed happiness, there is nothing but sadness in these pages. Jovial piano sends memories floating through the mind, distant voices sparking a smile. A smile which soon fades when Thompson steps into the fray. The lyrical content juxtaposes the warm glow. They speak of a devil “crawling all up my spine” to the tune of rolling drums and bright guitars. While not all memories are good, this harsh confrontation feels strange to open with. As the song comes to a close, Thompson adopts group vocals, signifying we come together in our misery.

Misery loves company. II, though about finding the power to overcome, marinates in its sorrow. Let’s Make A Scene comments on the notion of pretending to be okay when you’re not. The idea alone has GRADUATING LIFE feeling “part of some cult following”. Bitterness drives Let’s Make A Scene. Spewing jibes at those who are able to maintain the online persona of everything being great. The comparison of cutting room floor to highlight reel makes for honest listening. Yet the jump from this topic to what seems to be a drawn out break up disrupts the song. Especially when following a bright solo and the impression everything can’t be so bad. Full of life, yes, but contradicting itself at every turn.

The biggest example of this comes with Crushed & Smothered. Murky guitars plunge the intro into darkness. Treading he boarder of punk rock while flirting with lighter grunge is a welcome change. This seduction doesn’t last long as hi hats count in another pseudo-jolly number. There is only so long we can listen to sad lyrics over happy songs before they all start to merge together. The difference here is Crushed & Smothered tries to be an anthem of release. Yet it falls short with a reference to self harm which takes us by surprise. Intentional as the reference is, setting it to catchy guitar hooks smacks of bands in the early 2000s. What intends to be a come together so we can fall apart moment leaves us deflated and out of sorts.

GRADUATING LIFE finds itself stuck in the teenage angst of bands like SUM 41 in their heyday. The attitude towards not fitting in and being “the God that is judging you” comes across as juvenile. It’s this young mindset which sends II spinning out to the tune of otherwise well written pieces of punk rock. The small bubble of synths which hide in songs like In The Back and 19 Stars are evidence of great musicianship. Yet it isn’t enough to save GRADUATING LIFE from their “addiction to affliction”. If they kick the self-indulgent habit of relishing in bitterness, there is so much potential.

Rating: 6/10

II is out now via Pure Noise Records.

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