ALBUM REVIEW: Toxic Positivity – The Used
Emo icons THE USED have released their ninth studio album, Toxic Positivity, and what an album it is. Over 20 years since their self-titled album skyrocketed their career, THE USED are proving that not only do they still have it, they’re still making waves in the industry. Toxic Positivity is a quintessential THE USED record.
Whilst the album is short, not much over an EP at just over 30 minutes for 11 tracks, it is jam-packed with riffs, heavy drums and insane vocals that fans of THE USED know and love. Hailing from Utah, THE USED consists of frontman Bert McCracken, drummer Dan Whitesides, bassist Jeph Howard and guitarist Joey Bradford. McCracken and Howard have been in the band since it’s inception in 2000 and with that length of time together, it’s no surprise the vocals and instruments work so in sync together.
THE USED are one of the rare bands that manage to have such a unique sound you can pick it out of a vast lineup, yet they still manage to twist and change their music over time – whilst still being recognisable as THE USED. Whether you listen to a track from Toxic Positivity or from In Love and Death, you can still tell that it is THE USED.
Whilst Toxic Positivity doesn’t have the raw grit and grime of their self-titled debut, the pure talent and passion is still there. In only 30 minutes, THE USED take you on a journey of different emotions and have you questioning whether you should be opening up a pit or having a dance.
This album undoubtedly starts off with the best track, Worst I’ve Ever Been is everything you want in a leading track, it has a brief build before kicking into heavy guitars and slick vocals, it’s impossible to sit still whilst listening to this track. Even with the dark vocals and angsty call-and-response chorus, it’s a fun track, toying with audio distortion and autotune in small amounts to still let the track speak for itself.
Another track on the album that makes you question is you should dance or mosh is I Hate Everybody, by the title it eludes to an angsty scream-packed track, but instead, you get a groovy bassline and sassy vocals throughout the verses. Pinky Swear and Cherry are hidden gems within the album. Pinky Swear has some amazing call and response sections which will be a sight to see live. Cherry starts off soft as if it’s going to be an acoustic song, but there’s still that signature breakdown that Howard and Whiteside have created to become an undeniable part of THE USED’s trademark sound.
One anomaly on the album is Dopamine which has an almost circus-like vibe to it, with McCracken’s vocals mimicking a ringleader ready to cause chaos. We can almost imagine him conducting the crowd from his spot centre stage. That’s the sign of a good song, when you can imagine it live.
THE USED are a band that are great for that, whilst they experiment and switch up some stylings, they know their limits and they stick to them, leaving for insanely energetic live performances of tracks that are almost better than those on the albums. Out of the entire album there is only really one song that isn’t as high-ranking as the others and that is unfortunately Headspace. Whilst repetition is fun and can help drill a point home, there is just a bit too much of it in this track. It’s also the longest track on the album which probably doesn’t help, they could have cut out some of the repetition and had it fall in line with the rest of the album perfectly.
Every well-rounded album needs an acoustic track and Toxic Positivity is no different. House Of Sand is the perfect solemn relief from the main release with soft drums and light guitars that are perfectly paired with McCracken’s dialled-back vocals. The odd thing with this track is that it comes in at track 10 of 11 which is a strange placement, usually they’re closer to half way though. The main reason that House Of Sand works so well this far down in the album is because it is followed up by Giving Up (the second best track on the album). Giving Up is closer to a positive pop-rock banger than the heavier ballad-style themes on the album, but it works incredibly well to close off the album whilst still allowing the album to easily be played on a loop.
THE USED show no signs of slowing down or stopping. They’ve had over 20 years in the industry and will likely be around for another 20. If they keep putting albums like this out then it is a done deal.
Rating: 9/10
Toxic Positivity is out now via Hassle Records/Big Noise.
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