REVIEW: letlive. – The Blackest Beautiful

July 9th, 2013

Matthew Leimkuehler

Artist: letlive.
Album: The Blackest Beautiful
Label: Epitaph Records
Genre: Post-Hardcore

There’s something about the new letlive. record, The Blackest Beautiful, that is incredibly difficult to put to words. It is a fantastic display of artists collectively mastering their crafts, this cannot be argued, but what it is exactly that founding member and frontman Jason Aalon Butler and company are mastering is what takes true deliberation to decipher.

Let there be no mistake from this point forward, The Blackest Beautiful is a fantastic record. It contains a great amount of construction and influence, which keeps things more than interesting. There are aspects of this record that have the ability to take breaths away. There are aspects of this record that can give you whiplash. There are aspects of this record that could steal your heart, it is that melodic. It is not too much of one thing or too little of another.

Butler blasts a spine-chilling performance on this record. His diversity is remarkable, from The Blood Brothers-esque number, “Dreamer’s Disease,” to the brilliantly Glassjaw mirrored track, “Pheremone Cvlt.” Both of these tracks are strangely addictive with the type of depth that makes you notice something new with almost every listen.

Although an extremely tough decision to make, the stand-out track on this record is “Virgin Dirt.” This particular song contains an aspect of awe eerie enough to send goosebumps down the arms of almost anyone. Interestingly composed, such as the other tracks on the album, this song stands out due to the compelling lyricism and delivery by Butler. Chills roll through your bones as Butler whispers, “Love is like a cancer and sex is just a pill,” before the band dives into the uber-emotional (and rightfully dramatic) climax of the track.

Difficult as it may be to put into words, The Blackest Beautiful is a record worth giving a spin. Do not be surprised when this album makes it on many end-of-the-year lists, being such a provocative record will certainly keep it in discussion for months to come. Below is the music video for the opening track of the record, “Banshee (Ghost Fame).” If you’re hooked, dive into the album.

Score: 9/10
By Matthew Leimkuehler