# 5 Ian Albrecht’s Favourite Albums to Date… 5 - La Dispute

My Favourite Albums To Date:

#5 by: Ian Albrecht

Artist- La Dispute

Album- Somewhere At The Bottom Of The River Between Vega And Altair

Genre- Post-Hardcore/Spoken Word/Hardcore Punk/Experimental Rock

Lyrics 97/100, Vocals 90/100, Instrumental 94/100

This album was released in November, 2008, and is an absolute masterpiece. There is so much substance to this album, and to the band, it is ridiculous. I have never encountered a band such as La Dispute before.

When I first heard them (unlike many other people I know) I was intrigued by Jordan Dreyer's weird vocal style and I found myself wanting more and more.  

I started digging more into the band’s lyrics and that's when I hit La Dispute’s gold mine. This band writes better than any other band I have heard in my entire life. Each sentence contains meaning rather than just song placement, and the meanings are both literal and metaphorical. Prior to La Dispute, singer Jordan Dreyer used to write poetry and short fiction and his talent is apparent. 

A big shout out and thank you to Brynna Thorlakson (and her avid ear for amazing music) for introducing me to these talented guys.

This album revolves around the usual feelings of love, betrayal, hatred, pain, rage, anger, and dealing with loss. But La Dispute approaches these themes with more lyrical depth than the average band. I honestly cannot think of any better tracks the band has, that should have been included or replaced on this album. The songs appear to be ordered strategically, as each song’s meaning flows into the next and all the tracks are where they should be.

The first song up for evaluation is actually two songs which complement each other: "Such Small Hands” and “Nobody, Not Even The Rain". These two songs are like the ‘bow’ you unwrap before you get to the ‘gift’ of the entire album. "Such Small Hands" is the introduction track and "Nobody, Not Even The Rain" is the CD’s finale.

Holy s%@&! Are these two songs ever powerful, even though the duration is only 2:34 minutes when placed together. With lyrics like:

"I thought I heard the door open, oh no. Thought I heard the door open, but I only heard it close.

I thought I heard a plane crashing, but now I think it was your passion snapping"

They had me, right away. Another amazing line from this song is:

"I know that even with the seams stitched, darling, scars will remain.

I say we scrape them from each other, darling, and let them wash off in the rain."

The next song I need to highlight is "Bury Your Flame". Another powerful song, that speaks to me. I could easily write a thousand word essay on the impact of this song, so it is really tough for me to find one set of lyrics to share. However:

"You came back and you brought floods wearing a necklace made of hearts that you'd dragged through the mud. And I guess I wasn't quite sure what to say to you. But then I saw mine, almost reached out to grab it. Said, ‘Darling, you're the only one on earth I want to have it.’ But now I'm not so sure that was true, after the hell you put it through."

I get chills when I hear Jordan’s raw anguish as he screams through those lines. It feels as though he had to relive the experience over and over in order to lay it down, to share with us.

As I have mentioned throughout this review, this album is perfect in every single way possible - lyrically. I cannot say anything bad about Jordan's writing style. La Dispute’s vocals are hard for most people to sit and listen to because they are very rough, raw and gravelly.  But I implore you to also listen to Jordan’s spoken word songs because they present an entirely different genre – yet on the same album. 

The band’s instrumentals are on point throughout the album – every note belongs where it is, and reflects the mood and lyrics. 

Both Chad and Kevin, La Dispute’s two guitarists, deserve recognition for their ability to play perfectly to the mood. As well, they provide some amazing riffing throughout the album, and Adam's distorted bass additions add further depth. Clearly La Dispute is a cohesive group.

Songs To Check Out: Bury Your Flame, The Last Lost Continent, Damaged Goods, Sad Prayers For Guilty Bodies.

Visit their website here

#7 Favourite Albums... to Date - Thrice, Artist in the Ambulance - by Ian Albrecht

My Favourite Albums To Date By Ian Albrecht:

#7

Artist- Thrice

Album- Artist In The Ambulance

Genre- Post-Hardcore/Emo

Lyrics 91/100, Vocals 88/100, Instrumental 92/100

This is Thrice's third album, though first on a major label, and is an absolute masterpiece of Post-Hardcore genre albums. All the songs flowed into each other and the album has a solid sound that doesn’t get annoying or old, like more Post-Hardcore bands. Also, this album demonstrates that the Post-Hardcore genre is good for an entire album, not just one or two songs. Although at first the album seems to have a hard rock feel, Dustin Kensrue’s vocals ensure it stays in its proper place.

The only reason someone would tag them as Emo is because their lyrics and subject matter sound very depressing. The first real bad-ass song (in every way) on the album is "All That's Left". This song has a little bit of everything: awesome lyrics, great vocals, amazingly catchy riffs from Teppei and Dustin, and just a great feel, overall. Solid lyrics in this song would be:

"In summers past we'd challenge fate.

With higher pitch and perfect aim.

And standing fast, we'd radiate

a light we loved but never named.

But the answers never came

and our shadows never looked the same."

The above quote, from my understanding, is simply talking about death and how the band questions if there is a heaven, hell, or if you live in limbo, still attached to the earth?

The next song worth addressing is "Stare At The Sun" which is a song that seems to question why horrible things happen to good people, and why is it that no matter what you choose, it seems you made the wrong decision? Probably my second favourite lyrics on the whole album is on this song:

"Do I trust my heart or just my mind,

why is truth so hard to find.

In this world, yeah in this world."

Hereis is great writing because it is simple yet speaks to today’s world and to our struggle to make some serious decisions that sometimes go against our hearts, or ideals. The chorus in that song is also super catchy.

Now, my favourite song, and arguably the best song on this album is "Artist In The Ambulance". I could write an entire review on this song because I believe it has many metaphorical allusions as well as literal references. The song starts with lyrics which paint an amazing picture:

"Late night, brakes lock, hear the tires squeal.

Red light, can't stop so I spin the wheel.

My world goes black before I feel an angel lift me up

and I open bloodshot eyes into fluorescent white.

They flip the siren, hit the lights, close the doors and I am gone."

 The song’s initial intent is clear - it is about the lead singer getting into a car accident, but the rest of the song goes on to theorize about whether he's done enough, or contributed enough in his lifetime? Has he been wasting his life and does he need to reevaluate. and furthermore revisit specific times, so that he may give back to others. It’s a huge question of morality, life, and legacy. Later in the song:

"My world goes black before I feel an angel steal me

 from the greedy jaws of death and chance,

and pull me in with steady hands.

They've given me a second chance,

the artist in the ambulance."

Here, he is talking about himself and his sheer will to survive; or about someone else who had the ability to bring him about… or… is there an artist who is orchestrating all of our lives, giving people a second chance (a do-over) at life? You will have to form your own opinion regarding the intent of this song.

Songs To Check Out: Artist In The Ambulance, Stare At The Sun, The Melting Point Of Wax, Blood Clots And Black Holes

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