The Story So Far
Under Soil and Dirt
Pure Noise Records (2011)
Sounds Like: A more aggressive, punk-influenced Tell All Your Friends
Score: 10/10
Apparently Walnut Creek, CA, is a pop-punk goldmine. After giving us bands like Set Your Goals and This Time Next Year, the Creek pumped out arguably one of the best bands in the country right now. The Story So Far are taking the scene by storm thanks to their debut full-length album Under Soil and Dirt. This eleven track beast of an album would be a high-quality release for any band, but for USAD to come from a group of kids who aren’t even old enough to sip on a Bud Light yet really makes this special and eye-opening. When I was 20 I was spending my days playing video games and trying to hold down my dead-end job, while these dudes put out, in my humble opinion, the best album of 2011 so far.
Looking back on their previous releases, it’s pretty evident that we shouldn’t be the least bit surprised. While You Were Sleeping, the quintet’s first EP that came out in the spring of 2010, is as good and addicting as first EPs can get. TSSF also released a split last year with Maker from Springfield, MA., which showed a great deal of progress not only musically but lyrically and it gave us two of the band’s most popular songs (Brevity and Mt. Diablo).
All of this led to Under Soil and Dirt.
USAD sounds like a slightly more aggressive cousin of Taking Back Sunday’s Tell All Your Friends, simply because the best song on the album changes every day, and the hooks are tough to forget. The intro track States and Minds is a short number but it pretty much gives you the theme for the rest of record. They sing about close friends going away to college, annoying and misguided drunk ladies and letting go, but the indecisiveness and uneasiness that comes with adolescence is the backbone of the album. “I’m falling in and out again…,” yells Parker, the golden-voiced frontman. I think you can learn the majority of the lyrics without looking them up, but reading them really reminds you what impressive songwriters these guys are.
USAD has a very raw, authentic sound to it and that has to be a credit to The Panda Studios, which has also recorded albums from Folsom, Lionheart, and Suffokate. This album is pretty much 90% fist-clenched sing-alongs, and then another 10% fist-clenched sing-alongs. Vocals and lyrics take center stage in standout track Placeholder, which will be stuck in your head for days unless you’re a mannequin. Songs like Quicksand, Mt. Diablo, and Rally Cap will leave you hoarse and Roam undoubtedly features the catchiest chorus of the record. All in all, other than the original Mt. Diablo sounding better than version on this record, Under Soil And Dirt lacks a weak spot.
The Story So Far is one of the most talented bands hitting stages this year and I was fortunate enough to catch them when they came through Vegas. It’s always refreshing to see a band that only gets better once you see them live. TSSF are hard-working kids and it shows. This album is heartfelt, honest, raw, and is getting The Story So Far a lot of good and warranted attention. Go grab a copy of Under Soil And Dirt from Pure Noise Records here and turn it all the way up. You won’t be disappointed.
– Felipe Garcia
No Comments