By: James Southworth
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
It's always refreshing to find a rock band that has a fresh and innovative feel to them in a world where generic radio rock often dominates the genre's conversations. Much like mainstream pop, mainstream rock has a hard time changing. Instead, bands constantly conform to rock trends so much it becomes tiresome. Thank goodness for Nothing More and their explosion into the scene with their self-titled fourth album and their single "Jenny" (which is easily one of their best songs). That album is one of the most interesting modern rock releases I've heard, and I still have it on repeat. So, I was certainly excited when the band announced "The Stories We Tell Ourselves". This album improves on the already excellent self-titled, as it has an ambitious conceptual structure, is full of catchy choruses, aggressive guitar riffs, and has some of the best vocal work I've heard from Johnny Hawkins.
At eighteen tracks and an hour long, this album can easily be classified as a rock epic. The epic feel also comes from the album's consistent thematic arc of trying to navigate through life as flawed human beings. Out of this concept comes songs with complex themes that made me think. The release starts with an interesting introduction track in "Ambition;Destruction", which transitions seamlessly into "Do You Really Want It?". This song is delightfully aggressive with energetic guitar riffs and Johnny Hawkins absolutely goes off in the vocal department. I could feel the passion in his voice, and it's clear from the chorus that he's very passionate about analyzing the human condition: "Everybody wants to change the world/But one thing is clear/No one ever wants to change themselves". This plays into the album's central idea that we often make false perceptions of ourselves because that is what is most comfortable to do. We all talk about wanting to change the world, but in order to do that we'd have to change the world. The next transition track "Convict/Divide" leads into "Let 'Em Burn". At this point, I'd like to note how clever I the transition tracks are. Their titles actually relate thematically to the subjects of the song/songs they are leading into. While I felt initially that "Let 'Em Burn" was a bit of a generic track, it has actually grown on me immensely, though I still think the chorus is a little too repetitive. It's once again the chemistry of the vocals and instrumentation that makes this song work. Hawkins sounds like he's enjoying himself, and the pounding drums and guitar riffs make for an entirely great rock song that is an effective single. It's nice to see this band actually saying how political leaders, both left and right, divide us on trivial things. Hawkins proposes that we should let radical ideals burn and instead come together and see what's similar about us.
The next three tracks are some of my absolutely favorites on the album. "Ripping Me Apart" starts off with a menacing guitar riff and Hawkins practically growling in his voice. I love the intensity of this song; it's so rare for rock songs to navigate between having a legitimate aggression while still being accessible. Nothing More works perfectly between these two extremes. This song can be enjoyed by general audiences while not taking away the intensity of the subject matter. The track discusses a toxic relationship, where a person knows they shouldn't be with another person, but no matter what, they can't resist them. Hawkins acknowledges this is another result of the human condition that is unavoidable. I love Hawkins' usage of screams as well as his lower vocal register; this song is an all around huge highlight. "Don't Stop" is another favorite of mine for just how weird and off the wall it is. There is not another song on the album like this, as this one combines heavy distorted electronics with crunchy guitar riffs. Hawkins' almost seems to embody an AC/DC flare in his vocals, and though I've never been a big fan of the aforementioned band, I still love this song. The track is straight up hype fuel, one of the first songs for rock that I could say would work for a college party of some sort. It's one of those songs that is just so easy to have fun with, and though its subject matter doesn't necessarily connect to the rest of the album, the song still works in its own unique way. I can't help banging my head along with it whenever it comes on.
My absolute favorite song on the album- as well as one of my favorite songs of the year- is "Funny Little Creatures". This track feels like it's at the heart of the album, as in the lyrics Hawkins discusses the very complex idea about he doesn't really know himself. That seems to be due to the stories that he tries to convince himself are true, and that is what ultimately creates a false perception. In the beautiful chorus of this song, Hawkins says "Blame is a coward but self righteous/A funny little creature hiding out in me/Hate is power with a price tag/A funny little creature screaming out in me". Often the hateful perceptions we make of ourselves turn into very real "creatures" who destroy who we essentially are supposed to be. I haven't heard too many songs with such a multi-faceted idea in mind. This song makes you think about what you are listening to while also just sounding good- the chorus is unbelievably catchy, and I just love the whole vibe of the song. Johnny Hawkins' vocal performance is natural and understated here; he isn't necessarily trying to show off his vocal register, but he still somehow gives his best vocal performance on the whole album in this track. This song leads effectively into another transition track "React/Respond" with a compelling spoken word segment that is just interesting to listen to.
The second half of this album is just as good as the first, and the songs are much serious in subject matter. "The Great Divorce" is an absolutely wild nearly 5-minute rock song which leaves me breathless every time I listen to it. Johnny's vocals are unbridled, the guitar work is brutal, and the drums patterns are very complicated and fast-paced. This song musically is pitch-perfect, and the desperate diction of the lyrics help to bring the intensity home. For that reason, this song is a major highlight for me. "Still in Love" is a radio ready rock ballad, although it stands above many other radio ballad counterparts. Everything about this track feels genuine. It's a touching relationship-centric song, and even if it isn't one of my favorites, it still offers a soft relief in the middle of the album and works well in context. After the transition track "Alone/Together", the lead single "Go To War" plays. It's so easy to see why the band chose this track as the lead single, as this song is just so unbelievably catchy both lyrically and sonically. It feels perfect for an epic movie trailer of sorts. It's clever that, despite the song's war sounding musicality, the lyrics are actually very anti-war, and they are actually referring more to a metaphorical war of the heart than a war of flesh. The lyrics are passionate and heartbreaking: "Screaming at the ones we love/Like we forgot who we can trust/Screaming at the top of our lungs/On the grounds where we feel safe/Do you feel safe?" The catchiness of the song serves to make the lyrics feel more memorable and important, making this song a key track in the context of the whole album. After a few more transition tracks, we get the two ending tracks "Tunnels" and "Fade In/Fade Out". The former track is a solid darker feeling track that I really like the vibe of. The latter is one of the best songs on the album, an absolute rock epic which traverses the complexities of life and death. There's so much to analyze in this song that would take too long for this review; I just advise you to go listen to it and appreciate every second of this 6-minute master work.
There are only a few tracks that I think don't work. I feel as though some of the transition tracks could've been cut, even though I do appreciate how title wise they fit the subject of the songs that come after them. But the track I probably have biggest issue with is "Who We Are". In an album full of super interesting tracks, this one just doesn't fit. From the typical title to the pseudo-inspirational lyrics, this song checks off every box for radio-ready rock. While the song isn't particularly offensive, it just isn't interesting either, and it really just didn't work with how complex the rest of the tracks are. The same can be said for "Just Say When", which is a bit of a cheesy ballad in my opinion. Unlike the one other ballad on this track, this one doesn't do much to distinguish itself from other rock ballads.
Even with the weaker tracks, I'm still excited to see that this year we have yet ANOTHER album I consider to be a masterpiece for the rock world. I have to say that once again in 2017, the albums I've hated I have REALLY hated, but the albums I've loved this year I have been absolutely passionate about. Nothing More proves with "The Stories We Tell Ourselves" that they are still enthusiastic about being an accessible rock band that has the ability to change the generic radio rock scene. I can't wait to see what this band does next!
Favorite Tracks: "Funny Little Creatures", "The Great Divorce", "Fade In/Fade Out", "Don't Stop", "Ripping Me Apart", "Go To War"
Least Favorite Tracks: "Who We Are", "Just Say When"
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