Artist: We Came As Romans
Song: “The World I Used To Know”
Album: Self-Titled

The evolution of We Came As Romans is entangled with the band’s own passion for storytelling and inspirational lyricism. Their journey is their song, and their songs detail their journey. Having long conquered the world of post-hardcore with multiple albums featuring top shelf production and the perfect combination of sing/scream vocals, the group have now stripped their music to its core, and through doing so found a new sound that marks the beginning of yet another chapter in their already celebrated career.

“The World I Used To Know” is without question the most radio friendly song We Came As Romans have produced thus far in their growing catalog. There are no screams, no breakdowns, and absolutely nothing that screams ‘Warped Tour scene.’ It’s a straightforward alternative song that boasts clean vocals from both Kyle Pavone and Dave Stephens, which I’m going to guess is just one of many firsts that will be heard on the group’s upcoming self-titled release.

Is it perfect? Not exactly. The problem with writing for more mainstream audiences is that it essentially requires an artist to focus on big hooks and easy to memorize lyricism. The material needs to be perfect for live shows, but also for potential licensing, not to mention the workout playlists of every exercising rock fan around the globe. That is a lot to keep in mind when creating material, and I would be lying if I said “The World I Used To Know” was the smartest material WCAR has ever written. It’s catchy, and there is no denying that, but in terms of pushing themselves forward from a technical standpoint, “The World I Used To Know” does not do much, if anything, that could be considered all that substantial.

All that said,“The World I Used To Know” is undeniably the product of the same boys turned men who have been refining the WCAR sound for the better part of the last decade. The story that began on their debut EP continues to this day, with each new release sharing the latest update from guys who have been able to see the entire world based on the success of their own dreams. It’s inspirational, though not directly so, and it finds its strength through the honest expression of the human experience. What it lacks in heaviness is more than made up for in emotional engagement with the listener, and in the big scheme of things it’s the connection people make with the band’s material that will stand the test of time.

I thought I knew what to expect from the upcoming We Came As Romans album, but “The World I Used To Know” is proof these Michigan natives are still capable of catching even longtime fans off guard. If their self-titled release is half as good as the material on this song then there isn’t a doubt in my mind that 2015 will quickly become the year WCAR make the transition from underground kings to mainstream heavyweights. It’s an evolution that has arguably been in the making since day one, and “The World I Used To Know” leads me to believe the best is still yet to come.

Review written by James Shotwell Follow @utgjames

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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