Future of the Left - Travels With Myself and Another

*Insert stereotypical apology for not posting enough here* Pshhh...as if any of you care.

Today's album: Future of the Left - Travels With Myself and Another



Genre: Post-Hardcore
Released: June 23, 2009
Running time: 12 tracks
In a nutshell: Badass.

It's hard to sound both mature and defiant. I suppose this is because kids have more to defy with more people telling them what they can and can't do. Nevertheless, Future of the Left puts your kid brother's hardcore bands to shame. For starters, the three-piece band hits harder with less; a definite sign of maturity. The arrangements are simple and driving, lean but mean. This is the perfect complement to the vocals, which are either screamed, shouted, or spoken, but always heard.

The lyrics are definitely the highlight of this album. If you can imagine teens howling Black Flag or Sex Pistols songs in the face of authority, this would be the exact opposite. It's time for the adults to scream in the faces of those dumbass kids. Opening track Arming Eritrea illustrates this perfectly; Come on, Rick! I'm not a drunk / I know my worth! / I'm an adult!!. The rest of the album goes balls-deep into arbitrary obscenity and tongue-in-cheek chaos, but it does so with a deeper understanding than the kids could ever muster. Take the track You Need Satan More Than He Needs You:

goddamn it's gonna rain
i only brought my socks
the night might hide my shame
but she won't dry my balls
the spell that brought me here
dissipated when the weather turned
yeah sure, satan rules, but
that doesn't mean i can't be practical

Lyrics like these really do speak for themselves. I don't know what else to say, other than that this album makes me want to go out and beat up high school metal heads.

Until next time...if I eat what I fuck, and I fuck what I eat, am I worthy?