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Basement

Beside Myself

Written by: PP on 18/01/2019 19:43:07

Looking back at the first three albums by Basement, it is 2012's "Colourmeinkindness" that stands out as a true gem. Its murky, clouded nature helped elevate its cocktail of alternative rock, grunge, and post-hardcore into a magical experience that felt depth-laden, progressive, and infectiously catchy, all at the same time. And even though 2016's "Promise Everything" was a step in a more accessible, mainstream direction, it still encompassed their grungy alternative rock expression in enough shoegaze to ensure some absolutely magical late night shows at festivals across the globe, including Chicago's Riot Fest back in 2016 that we attended.

In contrast, fourth album "Beside Myself" adds a great deal of polish and pop flavor to their soundscape, much to the detriment of the feeling of depth and the progressive nature of their previous output. Maybe it's a Fueled By Ramen thing, but most songs on "Beside Myself" are brighter and ooze more of a Jimmy Eat World-style alternative rock vibe than they do of Title Fight's angsty, dreamy post-hardcore, which was the leitmotif across the past two Basement albums (excluding the punk-laden debut album). A song like "Keepsake" feels purposefully simple as if to expand their introverted post-hardcore soundscape to the wider alternative rock audiences. It's not bad, but does it feature any back chilling moments that songs like "Covet" or "Bad Apple" did? Hardly.

That said, there are a number of solid songs on "Beside Myself". "Stigmata", for instance, sounds like a Deftones song circa self-titled era. At least guitar-wise, the two bands are indistinguishable in this song, which isn't a bad thing. The crunchy distortion and the prolonged vocal performance are among the best moments on this album. "Disconnect" and "Nothing Left" are also pretty good, despite the more soothing, smoother nature of the songs compare to the older output.

But while "Beside Myself" is a decent album, it is a disappointing release from Basement. The brighter, more polished sound irons out all edge and grungy character of their previous output, leaving behind a soundscape that feels pretty good, but not exactly one you'll remember a few months down the line.

Download: Nothing Left, Disconnect, Stigmata, Reason For Breathing
For the fans of: Have Mercy, Can't Swim, Title Fight, Daylight, Citizen, Jimmy Eat World
Listen: Facebook

Release date 12.10.2018
Fueled By Ramen