Album Review: Alone Together by Show Me The Body
Album artwork for Alone Together by Show Me The Body
New York has a well-known pedigree for hardcore. Going back to the dawn of the genre, the corner of the American east coast has spawned more greats than most countries. Four years on from their last full-length, the New York City collective Show Me The Body are back and leaving nothing to the imagination with the release of their fourth record, “Alone Together”. This is an album about communication, about community spirit, about yourself, and the relationship with those around you. Feeling alone in a crowd, pulling through for those that mean the most to you, and standing up for what you believe in, regardless of where it leaves you. The opening statement “Welcome! Are you alone? It’s easy to feel alone. I feel alone all the time.” sets the mood from the get-go.
This album is a change of tone from the band’s previous endeavours, focusing less on atmosphere and more on the message. A sign of maturity, perhaps, which, when given the context of this record having been written following the birth of vocalist and banjoist Julian Cashwan Pratt’s daughter, makes perfect sense. There is so much fun being had here, and still, they manage to maintain the sense of torment that Show Me The Body does oh so very well. The lyrical approach throughout this release blends reflection on loss and self-empowerment, with lines like “Radical love. Radical love compels me to fight”. Juggling extreme emotions and ways in which to cope with them. Authoritarian attitudes from those in power towards how life should be lived, and how Pratt attempts to deal with it all. With the interlude track serving as a brass-led respite from the chaos, it is interwoven with an accompanying spoken word tribute to those who choose to stand alone as individuals. Nods are frequently made to individuality, something that the post-hardcore trio knows all too well as a creative force.
Whilst most bands in their sphere would choose to implement traditional riffs and electric guitar-led compositions, long-time listeners of Show Me The Body will be all too familiar with the eerie twang of Pratt’s banjo. This, combined with the rhythm section of bassist Harlan Steed and drummer Nijol Benjamin, creates a vibe that cannot be found elsewhere. That’s not to say that this isn’t an album for the moshers. Whilst the band may have collaborated with Gio Escobar of Standing on the Corner and his cohort of jazz hands, this is still very much a hardcore punk record. Shrieking vocals, churning bass, drums to stomp and stamp to. This is made for the dancefloor, but carries more character and individuality than most bands could ever hope to deliver. There are things that only Show Me The Body can bring to the table, and this is a testament to that.
Tracks such as Mileage and New Line really highlight the impact that Steed has on this band. Bass lines that hit like a fist to the mouth, serving as a one-two punch in the latter half of the record and they’ll leave you wanting to throw yourself off a speaker stack on to the heads of people you’ve never met before. Stage divers beware: these songs will activate you in ways you have always dreamed of. That being said, there is plenty of scope for reflection here. It’s not all go all the time; the NYC trio will have you raging and looking inward in equal measure. “Who do you trust when you’re lost and your time’s up?” Questions such as this litter the record, and these lyrics are not to be overlooked. Nothing is used for the sake of it here; everything has its place, everything has its purpose. For some, this may be too much. “Keep politics out of hardcore!” cried the paid studio audience. For those who want nothing more than beatdowns and recycled mosh parts, this may not be for you. But for the more refined ear, those with the want to go further and expand their tastes, this record is a diamond.
Whilst it would be incredibly easy to go on and on about how good these songs are, it would be a disservice to ignore the work done by production duo Klas Åhlund, and Kenneth Blume III. The band’s previous record was co-produced by themselves and Arthur Rizk, known across the heavy-music-sphere as one of the most cutting-edge and in-demand producers in the current game. Whilst Arthur’s touch is undeniably iconic and brought out a metallic, scuzzy, borderline unpleasant (in a good way) side to the band, this new team comes together to create something so much more. This record sounds huge. Genuinely gargantuan, and you will feel it encompassing all of you. The drums hit harder, the bass is thicker, and the vocals are so much more powerful. This is not to discredit the sound of the past, but to state just how incredible this record sounds. You will be hard-pressed to find fault here, and only the most banal of demo purists will want it to sound any different. Why would anyone want this album to sound any different?
Releasing on Loma Vista, the band’s long-time home, it is no surprise that they have been allowed the freedom to continue on the creative path that they have. With label peers such as Soccer Mommy and Militarie Gun, it is hard to imagine them sitting anywhere else. Who else would allow the band to do what they have done on this record? Who else would let a banjoist lead a brass band into war? It may be easy to be alone. Radical love may compel you to fight. But stand alone, together, with this record. It will fuel you, it will lead you, it will show you the way. Show Me The Body have done it again.
FFO: Drug Church, Chat Pile, Gulch, Turnstile
SCORE: 9/10
“Alone Together” is out on the 10th of July on all streaming platforms via Loma Vista. It is also available on CD and vinyl.
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