By: James Southworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Even though I always haven't been a fan of the music backing him, there's no denying that Johnny Craig is one of the best vocalists in the rock scene. He has been known for his work with bands like Dance Gavin Dance and Emarosa in the past. Now he's part of the band Slaves. It seems that he might be a tough person to work with, as even Slaves were just announcing that they were breaking up last year. But, Johnny didn't want to see this band die off, and instead they came back with a new album. Let me just say, I'm very glad they decided to stay together. This album is easily Slaves's best, as it shows off excellent musicianship, actual good relationship-centric lyrics, and an impassioned vocal performance from Craig.
The opening track and lead single "I'd Rather See Your Star Explode" will give you a really good idea of what you're in for. This is definitely a great song in context of the album. You can see a tight chemistry in the band, especially in how effectively the drums and guitar work clash together. I also like the subtle incorporation of electronics. Johnny's voice fits very naturally against this soundscape. You really get the full extent of his vocal prowess here, as he hits impressive low notes and a lot of emotive highs. I suppose you could almost say he's showing off, but I think the way he utilizes his voice is perfect for the lyrical content this song has to offer. I like that the song is a reassurance to his fans that he's not backing down any time soon, and won't let them down this time. "Patience is the Virtue" is definitely one of my top favorites, simply because of how freaking catchy and captivating the chorus is. This one does a good job at combining pop and rock tendencies. There are some clear pop elements in this song, but they mesh really well with the guitar work. The guitar still dictates this song's melody, which in my opinion, is the important part to making a pop song work. There's even a rap segment in this song that works surprisingly well. "True Colors" is yet another highlight. I like the moody atmosphere this song has, which works particularly with its bittersweet lyrics: "It’s your eyes that told me you were in it/All the flags that were red I told myself they were tinted/Then I noticed that you couldn’t stand the sight of your own shadow/Like the devil on your shoulder couldn’t stand to wait much longer". It's easily one of the best lyrical moments, and once again, you'd be hard pressed to not have the chorus constantly in your head.
Things only get better with "Let This Haunt You", which is one of Johnny's best vocal performances on the album as a whole. You can just feel his passion in every moment of this song. He even lets his voice get a little gruff and aggressive at points in it, which is a nice contrast to his usual accentuated smooth delivery. This song structurally is just really interesting, and it works well at this point in the album. "Pretty Trappin" is a song I started out unsure about. Like the title implies, this song does have some very heavy trap and R&B influences. They are all over the song, especially in the verses. But, unlike so many songs of this style, I actually rather enjoy this one. In fact, I'd consider it another major highlight just for how unique it is. Johnny sounds natural against the backing beat; he would probably be even bigger if he did just a straight up R&B album. But what this song has going for it is that the guitars still take the lead, making this song feel more natural in context. Even the "woah-woah"s in the chorus. All the elements of this song I would normally hate in anything else, but Slaves makes it work. My favorite song comes in "I Know A Lot of Artists". I may be biased towards this one because it's heavier. But there's not another song on this album that has the natural aggressiveness this one does. The lyrics are appropriately angry cynical, and the chorus has an unbelievable hook and compelling feel to it. I love the booming guitar riffs and the pounding drums, as well as Craig really going off vocally. "Back to My Roots" goes more back to the pop/rock influence. It actually reminds me of Paramore a bit, which isn't a bad thing at all. The final track, "The Pact", is an absolutely gorgeous ballad. It's a heck of a way to end the album. The lyrics are packed with heavy emotion: "The longer I stay numb, the longer I don't have to think much/Never have to think about my father and how he walked out on us/How I barely know my mother, for that I'm ashamed/Afraid of what they think of me, so I stay away". This song gives me chills every time I listen to it, and is certainly a special moment in the album. You can just tell Craig poured his heart and soul into this one in particular, and it leaves a mark on the listener for sure.
There aren't honestly that many tracks that I truly hate. I wouldn't call any song on here particularly unbearable. But, there are two that are just a little underwhelming compared to the excellent content the rest of this album has to offer. "Deadly Conversations" does boast a raw vocal turn from Johnny, but the lyrics are just a bit too cheesy and cliched for me. They're pretty typical breakup fare. The lyrical content just stands out when the rest of these songs containing break up themes have much more raw and legitimate feeling emotion. "Warning From My Demons" uses the tiresome metaphor of demons for addiction or something that Craig just can't let go of. This metaphor is one of my least favorite cliches in rock music, so it's almost a guarantee that any song that uses this will be a weaker song in my book. Also, the song is repetitive; not a whole lot of lyrical variation here. Sometimes while listening to this album, I noticed some songs that somewhat bled into one another. But, I think that's more of a nitpick than anything. That may have actually been purposeful on the band's part, as a lot of these songs revolve around similar thematic topics.
Overall, "Beautiful Death" was a pleasant surprise for me. Like I said earlier, I've always admired Johnny's vocal talents, but in this album, I actually came to love them. I hope that this band stays together and hones in the unique style they've established on this release. The combination of pop, rock, and R&B is highly effective and captivating. I've been seeing many people loving on this album. You can definitely count me in as one of those people. Check this release out!
Favorite Songs: "I Know A Lot of Artists", "The Pact", "Patience is the Virtue", "Pretty Trappin", "True Colors", "I'd Rather See Your Star Explode"
Least Favorite Songs: "Warning From My Demons", "Deadly Conversations"
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