Happy Saturday everyone! We made it to the weekend and man, does it feel good. I’m feeling rejuvenated and full of energy so why not use that energy to check out some music from my ever-growing list of albums to review? Let’s start with Longfriend Timefriend’s new album ‘If Me Dies, Me Dies’!

“Better Planet” kicks off this album with a sweet-sounding guitar part before coming in with sharp-tongued lyrics about the current state of the planet. I knew the second the pandemic was going to lead to some amazing music and this opening track is a perfect example of that. We all lived through an amazing series of events (go us!) and I love that we will have songs like this to look back on and remember this strange time. “Better Planet” is super short and the album wastes no time amping things up as “Remedy” takes over. “Remedy” has more of the sound I was expecting from this band (more on that later). It’s a pop-punk drenched sound full of energy and great lyrics. All the makings of a great song.

The tracks on this twelve-song album are quick and punchy including “Baggage”. This track is just under two minutes long and seems to split the difference between the calmness of “Better Planet” and the more rocking vibe of “Remedy”. I loved this track so much but it was over before I really had a chance to dig into it. I thought about going back and listening to it again but “Trying” had already taken over my speakers. “Trying” was the first track I had heard from Longfriend Timefriend and I fell in love upon my first listen a couple of weeks ago. It brings a very Social Distortion style of vocals to the forefront. A driving beat makes this track fly by much like the rest of the tracks but the track gives you a great look into just what Timefriend Longfriend is all about– Punchy tracks, raw lyrics, and endless amounts of energy.

The title track, “If Me Dies, Me Dies”, brings something a little bit more sensitive to the table. It’s still a quick and punchy punk track no matter how you look at it but there’s a little bit more of a sense of heartbreak in the vocals that, as an emo kid, I absolutely loved. I wouldn’t call this ear-wormy but there’s something infectiously catchy about this track. I was captivated by it and found myself pleading for more of this infectiousness as the album rolled into “Mirror”. That’s exactly what I got– more infectious beats and catchy words but “Mirror” comes with an almost 90’s styled feeling to it too. I wish I could peg this band but I feel like you just can’t. The influences are all over the place and thankfully, all of those influences are right up my alley making this quick listen more powerful than I thought it would be.

“Fall Again” instantly won a spot in my heart. This track came with a sense of nostalgia from all of the music I used to listen to back when I was an angsty teenager but also brought something fresh and new to the sound. From the lyrics to the beat to the presentation, just everything about this track was perfect. I really wish I had more to say about all of these tracks but they honestly move so quickly that they don’t give me much time to put my thoughts into words. “A Good Time” is the longest track on the album at around three and a half minutes so I have a little time now but I find myself just completely captivated by the perfection of Longfriend Timefriend. They seriously have such a unique blend of new and old, fast and delicate and so many other combinations that make this album an instant favorite of mine.

There’s an edge felt in “Chalk Outlines” that instantly reminded me of bands like A Wilhelm Scream and even a little bit of Dillinger Four. This track is a bit more aggressive without being in your face or severe. I love that, even though we are towards the end of this album, Longfriend Timefriend is still showing some of their cards and this is one card I wish I had gotten to see more of previously and hope to see more of throughout the final three songs. It’s as if the band knew what I was thinking and they continued with this edge through “Pardoned, Forgot About”. Beyond that more aggressive edge, this track really brings the political views that were heard fairly subtly throughout the album to the spotlight. I’m a huge fan of political bands but am also just a little sick of politics to be one hundred percent honest so I love that Longfriend Timefriend hints at politics throughout this album but really hits the point home on this track instead of making the entire album about it.

“Fix Your Shit” is the most classic punk track on this album and, again, although there are a million influences felt throughout this album, Longfriend Timefriend makes it clear in this track that they can expand on all of those influences perfectly. They don’t half-ass anything and aren’t afraid to have a range of sounds or moods and they really go all out for each. Unfortunately, this track is only a minute and a half long and, before I knew it, “Chemical Change” was closing out this album with a powerful punch. This closing track makes the album come back full circle ending on the line “It’ll never be the same”. Going back to what I said at the beginning, this is one of those albums that is a product of this mess we all find ourselves in and I love that.

This album is all over the place stylistically. From a Social Distortion vibe on “Trying” to the more political punk sound on “Pardoned, Forgot About” to the tenderness of the opening and closing tracks. There’s just a little bit of everything on this album and it is all done so perfectly. What an amazing band with such a great sound. They are definitely on my radar now and I can’t wait to dig into some of their other music.

My Favorite Track(s): “Trying”; “Fall Again”

For Fans Of: Short, Punchy Tracks; Subtle Political Views; 90’s Rock Mixed With Pop Punk

Mosh-ability: 8 out of 10

What My Cats Thought Of It: Artie laid right by the front door; Autumn slept upstairs

How Badly I Want To See This Performed Live: 9 out of 10

My Overall Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Check Out Longfriend Timefriend Here:

Longfriend Timefriend on Facebook

Longfriend Timefriend on Instagram

Check out ‘If Me Dies, Me Dies’ HERE!

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