ALBUM REVIEW: Lower Feeling – Rarity
It has been six long years since the last full-length project from Canadian four-piece RARITY. In 2019, the band dropped their second record, The Longest Lonesome, receiving decent acclaim in the process, and since then have gone on to release two more singles. It is clear upon listening to this latest record, however, that the band have been far from resting on their laurels, and instead have challenged themselves to produce a record that is their finest to date. Lower Feeling manages this effortlessly.
Sitting at the crossroads of pop-punk, post-hardcore, and even heavier genres such as metalcore and hardcore punk, Lower Feeling is an exhilarating sonic experience that simply refuses to let up on energy or momentum. Catchy melodies are merged seamlessly with ferocious breakdowns, the band ensuring throughout that they feel sharply relevant, with a raw yet polished collection of tracks that manage to simultaneously feel radio-ready and perfect for your favourite local underground punk venue.
This is set out from the very start of the album, with the explosive opening track Keep It To Yourself managing to contrast unexpectedly menacing choruses with up-tempo, poppy verses that aim to get you moving. If that track doesn’t manage to hook you in, then the follow-up OKAY certainly will, with its searing guitar riffs that are layered over a blistering percussive performance. The immense danceability and sunny melodies of the track are jarringly contrasted by sombre melodic tones in the instrument department, setting you on edge and refusing to let you sit comfortably.
This fast-paced ferocity peaks on tracks such as Shit Eater and Brain Dance, the former buoyed by Evan Woods’ thrillingly complex percussion that ceaselessly pummels the listener, whilst the latter sees Loeden Learn indulging in some nu-metal vocal flows as the bassline dives to the front of the mix in a moment of brilliantly violent vibrancy.
Even when the band decide to slow down the pace, the impact is not lessened whatsoever. New Paint is a stomping, menacing cut, with huge percussion that carries a swaggering energy, and the album’s finest breakdown segment which is simply begging for you to mosh to. who gives a fuck, on the other hand, takes things in a far softer direction, with a rich and warm soundscape built from ambient vocal harmonies, gently marching acoustic guitar, and sparse keys. The climax of this track is a melancholy celebration packed with electric guitars that screech with feedback, and a subtle yet potent rhythmic switch-up. Perhaps it would have served better as the closer to the album as opposed to Ignore Everything, but the presence of this track is welcomed deeply regardless.
Certainly, Lower Feeling is far from a revolutionary listen; the musical ideas and concepts here are constructed from those that have been incredibly relevant in the alternative scene for quite some time now. However, the way in which RARITY assembles these influences, and the bristling, energetic way in which they execute them, makes this record stand out as a must-listen for fans of anything fast and furious. Truly, Lower Feeling is the definition of ‘all killer, no filler’.
Rating: 9/10
Lower Feeling is set for release on June 7th via New Damage Records.
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