Introduction + Two Letters
Hello anyone interested, pre warning, this is all interpretation, assumption and description, I can’t say that any single transcript or connection with lyrics I type here are the correct meaning, but that’s music, we’re somewhat left interpreting things for ourselves, and I’m just a 20 year old, currently sat on my bed thinking of writing an album review.
I thought I’d take some time to do something new on my now very inactive blog. Reviewing the new album ‘Vacancy’ from a beloved band I follow, Bayside.
A now 6 record band, spanning from 2000 to present day, Vacancy kicks off with a fantastic opener ‘Two Letters’ - and with no surprise, spoiler alert, but this album once more blends with the Bayside style that simply feels like every track belongs on any other record, the instrumental here distinctively, to me reminiscent of the likes of ‘Guardrail’ from the 2004 album ‘Sirens and Condolences’ (is that just me?).
It took a few plays of track one for the lyrics to really hit home and to get me wondering simply what the title ‘two letters’ means. My interpretation is that two letters is equivalent to ‘e’ and ‘x’, obviously for ex, and it comes apparent later, with the lines “I’m not so good with tenses, I’m tensing up thinking about what I’m supposed to call you now” - “I don’t know what I should call you now” and finally “Ex sounds dirty, I can’t say it, sounds so final, I’m still praying, for the worse, for the better, we’re nothing now but just two letters, hope you understand I’m not prepared to call you just a friend”.
Straight into the feels and I didn’t realise it until I’d recovered from the stun and hype of a new album to really focus on the meaning of the songs, and wow it hits home and I can sense this being a relatable track for a lot of people, hell, I can and definitely could have called it my situation a long time ago.
Moving onwards to a late coming track ‘I’ve Been Dead All Day’ fans got to hear this a few days early with this being published on the facebook page (and I’m assuming other media places, but I most likely missed the posts). Either way, I feel this seems like a newish sound, not really being able to compare it to anything previous by the band. It is however very catchy and I’ve found myself humming the melody on and off all day. (That’s not a pun). In terms of connecting on an emotional level, I’m sure there’s some real meaning in here, but at time of writing (20th Aug, 02:45, BST) I’m not quite there. This doesn’t mean I don’t absolutely love the track though, I do feel very much like Anthony Raneri’s solo records have influenced this track, with A Sorry State of Mind and New Cathedrals’ (his solo albums) country-ish vibe coming into play in the breakdown [1:45 mark, more so focused on the 2:10 mark of the track]
Track three is the song people counting down to the new album will be most familiar with, as ‘Enemy Lines’ - I’d immediately fell in love with this song. Instrumentally, it’s what got me into Bayside in the first place (with the tracks ‘Devotion and Desire’ and ‘Already Gone’ being the first I’d ever heard), it’s that distinctive rock/punky sound the group have and it straight up felt at home playing after the previous record ‘Cult’.
Lyrically, I can pick up that the story here is somewhat a narrative of arguments somewhere, however, it’s almost sarcastic or ironically worded (who knows if this is the actual meaning or intention, I could only find out from the guys but what’re the chances of this post getting any real attention) with the likes of “You say you’re happy, but you look so sad, did you think I would keep this bitter tongue behind crooked teeth and angry gums, now you’re upset, but you gotta admit it’s catchy” and the pre-chorus “Not that I think you care, but I don’t feel right being here”. It’s seemingly narrating fights and arguments, yet instead of venting the anger, it’s venting the stubbornness of the narrative point with the whole “behind enemy lines” and “every mistake a reason to run but a good soldier marches on”.
‘Enemy Lines’ currently holds my top spot for best on the record and one of my all time favourites. In the rare off chance that Bayside return to the UK to headline, I really hope they add it to their set list, and after being a front row in their London show the other year, I gotta say, these guys put on a show that’s special and heart warming.
Anyway, back on track (pun not intended, again) number four is ‘Not Fair’ which I immediately felt had a ‘Shudder’ and ‘Roshambo’ sound to the intro. Differently to ‘Roshambo’ though, ‘Not Fair’ gives a motivational vibe, which I must say is excellently sang in the chorus of “My friend, don’t look down, you’ve gotta face what’s in front of you now and don’t waste your time, making up excuses cause son you’re about to find out, you might just figure out what you’re made of”.
Though I get this motivational and eye opening feeling from hearing ‘Not Fair’ the second verse follows with Anthony’s vocals of “Oh I remember 25, thinking I’d figured out my life and I was positive the hardest part was through, after 6 records and 2 marriages, I’m still here paying dues” the empathy really hits. I’d not known Anthony’s second marriage had fell apart and it had seriously saddened me as a fan, I mean, I’m not obsessive over musicians personal lives, but last I was aware Anthony was happily married and it wasn’t until these lyrics I’d found this news out. So yeah, I take these words and aim to use them to always push on in life.
It’s these three things (the motivation, empathy and ‘Roshambo’ sound, to recap) that make ‘Not Fair’ stick out to me and again I’d love to see this on the groups set list. Strangely this is because of my experience seeing Bayside and how I’d left that venue feeling connected a little more with the band from hearing little stories and speeches from them, and I feel this song would add to that same feeling.
Another track we got to hear pre-release was ‘Pretty Vacant’ with a more mellow introduction. We also got an intriguing music video to come along which I was quite surprised to see. I really have nothing more to say on that aspect, I’d love to know what the direction of this video was, it’s got a story to tell, but I’m done if I know what it is!
A few seemed to expect that we’d be getting a cover of the Sex Pistols ‘Pretty Vacant’ however, that’s not the case and surely just coincidence. Again, this is another track I find myself getting the melody into my head, those guitars just repeat on me, and so does the lines of “and you’d still have to give a shit to try, and you’d have to give a shit to try... I can’t believe this is my life”
Rumspringa (Return to Heartbreak Road)
Number six, and over halfway now (yep this is a long ass post, sorry, I ramble, but as I say, I’m trying to put across my opinions on the tracks and my interpretations where I can and in the off chance anyone reads this (and in the absolute slightest anyone to do with the group even skims through it) something is taken from it and the appreciation is recognised.
I really hope fans appreciate the title as much as I do here. That is of course if my interpretation again is even remotely accurate, but as again one of my favourite songs from Bayside is ‘A Rite Of Passage’ - I need to point out that “Rumspringa” is literally a term for a rite of passage, which is basically an important part/stage of (a persons) life, followed up by Heartbreak Road Rumspringa (Return to Heartbreak Road) then being track 6′s title. I can only assume this comes purely from Anthony’s perspective, the rite of passage being the return to heartbreak with the marriage failure. Though I can’t see this being added to the Bayside setlist, I can easily imagine groups of people chanting along with the pre-chorus of “you’re real big shit, in this shitty town” which is excellently vocalised, it’s got a twist on it that I can’t define but I love it and it goes with a few other songs down the Bayside discography that have these vocal twists that really add some emphasis and passion to the phrases.
Same goes for parts of the first verse, especially “god knows you’ve got to sleep an extra ten fucking minutes”.
Part of me hopes that the songs title has it’s own story, not related to the lyrics, that are quite frankly sinister and again if my interpretations on track, Anthony’s really had it rough with the return to heartbreak road.
Either way, for me, it’s the pre-chorus that make this song stand out here, it’s memorable, catchy and I can sure as hell bet that people who will want to take something from this song, will be taking the pre-chorus.
Up at number 7 is a much calmer ‘Mary’ and again a seemingly motivational and upbeat vibe as far as things go for Bayside. I couldn’t say what songs ‘Mary’ sounds like, it’s got a different sound to it than most other tracks but hear me out here, it reminds me of ‘Demons’ and that’s not because of the lyric “get your demons out”. Once more the chorus really sticks in my mind and so does the instrumental. There’s a steady pace to the guitars and drums which puts this song on a very calm level, yet there’s still that exception where the beat from the drums or the guitars spiral off into their own thing that just makes the instrumentals here even more catchy.
I couldn’t comment on the meaning here, other than to prevent your demons from affecting you. ‘Mary’ could very well be a jane doe here and mean anyone, could be directed towards listeners, or could simply be a person from a story. I’ve got no clue but on first play through this song stuck in my mind and I couldn’t wait to hear it again.
8th on the track list is ‘Maybe, Tennessee’ - which starts up very ‘Cult’ like, ‘The Whitest Lie’ comes to mind with me. It’s one of the tracks that sticks in my mind purely for the instrumental and not so much the lyrics (don’t get me wrong here, the lyrics are also great on this track and the meaning I take from them is quite powerful) as we get to hear quite a long solo at around the 2:45 mark, after the vocal break down. It’s such a classic Bayside sound too and I feel I had heard this before the album was announced and had to guess out of what bands I listen to, that made up that solo, Bayside would be my straight answer. Existing fans will really feel at home with this track, as they will with all the others.
At number 9 is ‘The Ghost’ and before I start talking about the track, I’ve got to point out a GIF Review posted that perfectly sums up the progression of this track and how great Jack and the rest of the group have done here. So to add some context, @baysideband tweeted for some gif reviews...
and before I start giving my two cents about the tracks sound, lyrics and melody and what now, I’ve gotta point out that this thread is excellent and I have to agree with SirDaveyBoy.
@BaysideBand The octave change on the third chorus of "The Ghost" got me all... pic.twitter.com/DLP9Mv6Wdn
— Ṃichael ⅅavidson (@SirDaveyBoy) August 19, 2016
Anyway, ‘The Ghost’ kicks off with an almost Green Day style like ‘Basket Case’ in terms of instrumental. The lyrics “I will change, I will change, I swear, just tell me what to do, just tell me who to be and I’ll be who you want me to” really stick with you and ‘The Ghost’ overall comes closely behind ‘Enemy Lines’ in my personal favourite.
From the Chorus I perceive the meaning of doing absolutely anything to stay with someone here, of course, people often say they’ll change to others if things aren't going so well and just generally the full lyrics of this song is very much about changing and desperation to not be alone, a song I can see people relating to, people of two kinds: people in the situation of wanting to change to save their relationships and people who have maybe not done that and ended up alone.
I really struggled to write about this track, I’m not sure why exactly, but I have to start somewhere, so whilst I’m typing this out and reading it in my head, it’s going to seem like I’m rambling again, because I am.
Anyway, It Doesn’t Make It True sounds like a true ballad, and it almost feels like it’s going to be an immediate classic from the group. A bit early to say I know, but just how it begins seems like it’s going to follow the roots of ‘Transitive Property’ or the likes of it. Only it doesn’t really. Once more, I find myself repeating the chorus “Boys to the back and men to the front of the room and if you think that you've got something missing, you probably do, I know that acceptance comes first and if I want to change then I've got to work, just cause I say I do, doesn't make it true”
It’s Not As Depressing As It Sounds
The album finale is ‘It’s Not As Depressing As It Sounds’ and wow. I honestly don’t know where to start. It begins in an almost chilling way and the almost muttered vocals “wrap me in linen, and show me to my tomb” are like electricity to water. I’m not over exaggerating here, I was genuinely chilled to how this started off, things soon take a change, which I was surprised and slightly saddened by. I’d really liked to have seen that same vibe progress elsewhere, it seemed so engaging and cold. I suppose that’s the trick, as the song isn’t as depressing as it sounds at first, although, it kinda is, but isn’t... You understand right?
Anyway, ‘It’s Not As Depressing As It Sounds’ has once more a chorus with true feeling, a relatable one for some listeners maybe. I find that the song is completely ironic as a listener. Firstly as I said, you get the vibe that this is going to be exceptionally deep, slowed down and dark, in a different manor that Bayside usually portray, to then have a fairly sad story via lyrics, but quite an upbeat instrumental. It’s ironic. Secondly, the chorus, “It’s not as depressing as it sounds, just want to be prepared, I’m in no rush to end it, but look at it from my perspective”. That is obviously pointing out that the narrative is about being prepared for an ending, though the narrator doesn’t want to, they’re preparing for that - you may wonder, where’s the irony in that? Well. That’s depressing.
Yeah, it didn’t go as I thought it would, but god damn, it really is a fantastic track to close off this album and though I’m intrigued about that initial start and where I thought it could have gone, I love the track, I feel I could really get into singing that with pure passion and that’s what 90% of my favourite songs are about.
Conclusion / Final Comments
And that’s it for Vacancy. I’ve gotta say, as per usual, Bayside stick to their sound and once more, for the most part, the tracks sound as if they could truly be on any of the previous records.
It’s known that the group produced this album largely with distance between them, has this affected the quality? No. I can’t say it has in my opinion, I couldn’t say you could tell, it’s excellently put together.
I do feel like there’s been a big drive on emotion this time round though, there’s a lot of key lyrics on vacancy that make you stop and think for a moment and because of this, my next point I feel is explained.
So I felt like when I’d first played the record and wasn’t really taking much in, but was just experiencing the sound, there was no real all out jam tracks. With ‘Cult’ I was enticed by ‘Big Cheese’ ‘Hate me’ ‘Stuttering’ and ‘The Whitest Lie’ for their instrumental value, those tracks really had me rocking, whereas Vacancy has left me contemplating life and I’m not criticising that. It’s an excellent shift. I think Anthony’s had a lot to say in the vibe, rightly so and as I’ve already mentioned, I genuinely empathise. Vacancy is a sad story, holding onto the glimpses of hope and staying in a positive mentality.
Another thing I’ve got to point out is the album art, it differs in the sense that the logo font has changed from ‘Palatino’ to a more ‘Bebas’/’Bebas Neue’. A lot of people will just brush past this, and usually I would, but as a graphic designer myself I have to question the decision. Is there going to be change of image in Bayside? or did the old font just not quite work with the image? I’m not reading into it much further but I do love this album art. The photograph is awesome and the general colour scheme has worked excellently throughout all the promo material I’ve seen. I also really love the placement on the bird logo above the logotype.
Once more to finally, well, finalise, Vacancy is an excellent album, it belongs, it’s powerful, it’s got stories to tell and I’m excited to see what happens next.
So I guess I finish with my GIFreviews.
@BaysideBand listening to #VACANCY for the first time like... #gifreviews pic.twitter.com/S4EIfzNBXp
— rjnicholds (@RJNicholds) August 19, 2016
@BaysideBand Listening from start to finish and ending like: pic.twitter.com/YJWtjNQ4NJ
— rjnicholds (@RJNicholds) August 19, 2016
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