Album Review: Sorority Noise—’YNAAYT’
Posted: by The Editor
Sorority Noise’s You’re Not As ___ As You Think was a marvel. Rarely is there an emo record that approaches something as horrific as grief in a way that conquers the helpless feeling and works to find solace in the fact that someone has passed on. Each song delves deeper into the complex emotions, trying to understand them for one’s mental health, a daunting task handled so beautifully by the group. When the band announced in early 2018 that they’d be releasing a re-imagined version of the record, stripped down and featuring stringed orchestration, there was bound to be a powerful shift in the way the record would be interpreted.
YNAAYT tells the exact same story as it’s loud, raucous sibling, but in a slightly different way. Though the lyrics and structure of the songs remain the same, the way the group finesses through these topics takes a more reflective tone, being that these events are now further in the past. It’s a musical re-working that’s meant to show growth after the initial pain has subsided. The power of You’re Not As ___ As You Think comes from the raw feeling of pain, each song felt as if these events had transpired only days before. The dichotomy of the tone feels intentional, as if the point of the re-imagining and revisiting of these songs was to show how grief can be portrayed at different instances—and with different intensities.
The production of the record is very roomy and warm, creating a sonic safe space for its listeners to work within. At times you feel encapsulated by this large sonic field, but it isn’t debilitating, it’s liberating and therapeutic. With this release, Sorority Noise elected to replace “Where Are You?” with a cover of Lana Del Ray’s “Chelsea Hotel No. 2,” a choice that feels proper both aesthetically and sonically. The use of the strings creates this moody and somber character that glues the first two-thirds of the record with the final two tracks, fulfilling a similar role that “Where Are You?” did on the original release.
YNAAYT acts a beautiful counterpart to the original release because it allows the listener to revisit their experiences with the original after some time has passed. The takeaway from YNAAYT is that while life goes on, we’re allowed to continue to grieve and be affected by the loss of someone dear.
Disappointing / Average / Good / Great / Phenomenal
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Jacob Fishman | @jacobafishman
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