To many, Touche Amore are a band that can barely do any wrong. In 2011 they released an album that reached the top of many end of year lists. In 2013 they’ve released an album which will do exactly the same. To put it simply, ‘Is Survived By’ is about as good as it gets, the whole album is powerful and melodic, it’s exactly what you come to expect from Touche Amore and more.
The lyricism is still as powerful as ever, frontman Jeremy Bolm is known for his honest and open words, the opening verse of the opening track is a perfect example, with Bolm pondering how he’d like to be remembered. The storytelling through the album is much the same in terms of intensity, it’s something that helps define Touche Amore as the band that they are and that’s just fine.
The music is brilliant too, the almost pop punk hook of ‘Anyone/Anything’ is terrific but there’s a point within the album in which Touche Amore really show their worth. The triple header of ‘Non Fiction,’ ‘Steps’ and title track ‘Is Survived By’ will perhaps go down as the musical moment of 2013. Kicking off with the instrumental intro on ‘Non Fiction’ things gradually build to an atmospheric conclusion, it’s a track where Bolm’s vocals take something of a back seat and the music is left to tell the story. The track leads nicely into probably the best track on the record; ‘Steps’ it’s too much of a cliché to describe any song as perfect, but again this is as close as it gets, from the frantic opening to an ending which will leave you stomping a mosh hole in your bedroom, it’s utterly brilliant song writing. Closing things down is ‘Is Survived By’ a title track worthy of being a title track, it ends the album on an incredibly high note.
All in all ‘Is Survived By’ has the potential to be a bit of a gamechanger, it could lift Touche Amore to the heights seen by the likes of Underoath at their prime. Touche Amore have done their bit in creating an incredible album, whether it’ll be seen as their peak is obviously something to ponder, but the future is incredibly bright for Touche Amore.
CHRIS MARSHMAN