TONIGHT ALIVE | Underworld | Album Review

There are few bands of the Fearless/Hopeless Records side of the rock music coin that have as much of a unique vigor and identity to them than Tonight Alive. What was originally a pop-punk female-fronted band that was easily comparable to Paramore with their first disc "What Are You So Scared Of", has gone on the trajectory of growing up and maturing with their further material, and are no strangers to mixing things up. Less than two years after the release of one of their more divisive albums, "Limitless", which placed a more accessible pop sound at the forefront, Tonight Alive aim to to kick 2018 off in a big way with their fourth studio project entitled "Underworld". During interviews about the album, vocalist Jenna McDougall explained the reason behind the album title and the motive behind the material written for the album, stating that it "reflects the ugly parts of herself that she wasn't ready to see until now", also stating that these were feelings that she had bottled in as a major driving force for the band's lyrical content. As a band who is a little bit lighter in tone than their former days, it's nice to see that they aren't watering down their efforts in songwriting and in musicality as well as having a songwriter who is finally letting loose and stringing together lyrics that actually mean something. So, with that said, I believe that the real question is regarding how that translates into this 13 track record that spans over 47 minutes. 

Three singles were released off of this album before it officially dropped, those tracks being "Temple", "Crack My Heart", and "Disappear" which features a guest in the form of Lynn Gunn of the band PVRIS. Out of these three, "Crack My Heart" is the one that appealed to me most. I don't think the other two are bad, especially not "Temple", but I don't see them as the band at their best as far as their appeal goes. This album was stated to be much more rock-centered than their last album, and you definitely get that with the pre-released stuff, albeit with not nearly as big of a focus on the pop-punk side but an overall rock luster. "Temple" probably is the one out of the three that features the most momentum going into each verse and chorus, but "Crack My Heart" sets an atmosphere with a set of quieter verses that lead into loud choruses with a great hook to them. The second half of the chorus is what really sticks out to me with its repetition, and that's why it works so well and it's an example of McDougall writing impactful material that has potential to be praised by music fans. While none of these hold the honor of being the best track on the album, there is a sense that these tracks give a perfect teaser of what to expect throughout "Underworld". 

Looking at this track list, you can tell that there is an undeniable amount of effort throughout these songs, even in the tracks that don't immediately stick out like "Burning On", "For You", and the aforementioned "Disappear". There's plenty of serviceable stuff on this album like "In My Dreams" and softer tracks like "Last Light" and "Looking For Heaven", the latter of which features solely the piano and Jenna McDougall's vocals which are fantastic throughout this disc, but it's moments like "Book Of Love", "The Other", "Just For Now", and especially the album closer "My Underworld" featuring Corey Taylor of Stone Sour and Slipknot, that really are proof of the band caring about what the final product sounds like and not just throwing out what sounds like everyone else. Corey Taylor is an odd choice as a person to do a duet track with considering both of his bands are a lot heavier in nature, and it could be said that there isn't as much chemistry with these two vocalists and the only reason why this was done was to get attention from sites like Loudwire and to try an reach a wider audience in the most hollow of ways. But, there is so much more to this song than just that, and it serves as a perfect closer to the album and one of the best closers I've heard in a while. The vocal melodies, especially in the first verse, are impeccable and heavenly, and Corey Taylor's effort shouldn't be ignored either as his input works just as well despite it being a weird choice for a guest vocalist. In the end, this turns out to be the best song on the album and one of Tonight Alive's best tracks that is a surefire bet to attain some form of attention, whether that be radio play or extremely positive recognition. 

Overall, Tonight Alive prove to everyone with this album that they only get better with each new album, and to prove that, this may be my favorite album from this band to date. However, I feel like this could lead to something even better. Tonight Alive has made four albums so far, and each one seemed to build upon what the last one accomplished in terms of sound and style. Hopefully, as we get more albums from this group, they will continue to explore their sound and their songwriting in ways that could escort them to the highest ranking possible. As for their fourth studio album "Underworld", it's definitely not perfect, and there are a few ideas that do not exactly mesh as well with that the songs are attempting to resemble, but these moments are VERY few and far between, and are not guilty of doing anything to harm the experience. There are definitely those tracks that don't immediately stick out and rather decide to blend together and sound somewhat similar and mediocre, but with tracks like "Crack My Heart", "The Other", and "My Underworld", I am certain that this album has something to offer for any Tonight Alive fan or any music fan in general. If you've been following Tonight Alive since their inception and appreciated their evolution and growth or hunger for some lighter rock music that is done very well, look no further than this record. 

RATING: 8/10

What did you think about the record? Was it good? Was it bad? Let me know in the comments below. And of course, these are only my opinions. If your opinions are different, awesome! If they're similar, then that's great, too. So, don't hesitate- comment to me about it down below. Take care.