In many ways Four Year Strong’s sixth album could be viewed as something of a great reset. For their latest long-player, analysis paralysis, the band approached the recording process with no completed songs (as opposed to the forty-plus ideas they brought to the table for previous album Brain Pain). It was a risky approach that could either dived or soared, and I’m pleased to report that it took the latter route. With an organic approach that was lacking from their previous album, analysis paralysis evidences a band who are still climbing creatively and will undoubtedly elevate them a few notches.
Formed in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 2001 Four Year Strong helped (unintentionally) shape the “easycore” genre, yet they are a band you pigeonhole at your folly. They simply make the music they want to hear and, by extension, other people do too. It is an approach that gives the band a lot of freedom and opening track ‘aftermath/afterthought’ begins with a little electronic motif and a nifty turn of phrase before landing the killer blow with a humongous riff. This incarnation of the band has been together since 2004 and subsequently they operate with an easy telepathy which means when they all kick in with heavy riffs (such as here and on ‘bad habit’) it is as a unified force and that is where Four Year Strong’s power lies. They can manipulate sonics very well; loud sections contrasting the quieter (and vice versa) and this means that tracks such as ‘dead end friend’ will transfer very well to the live environment; you can almost see thousands of people singing along. Likewise, ‘paranoia’ is very pit friendly and should ignite crowds wherever it is played. Yet, as we learned before, you label For Year Strong at your peril and analysis paralysis grows in strange ways with metalcore sections nestling next to pop-punk, pogo-inducing affairs effortlessly; it’s an operandi with which only this crew could carry off, and long may that continue.
While all the song titles may be presented in lower case, there’s certainly nothing low key about this album, it is a bold and brash affair and one that makes its presence felt, even at lower volumes. And that’s definitely a good thing and suggests Four Year Strong are going to be flexing their muscles many years hence.
- Analysis paralysis is released via Pure Noise Records on 9th August 2024.
- Official Website
Track List:
- aftermath/afterthought
- bad habit
- maybe it’s me
- uncooked
- out of touch
- daddy of mine
- dead end friend
- paranoia
- STIFL
- rollercoaster
- better get better
- how do i let you go?
