Review: analysis/paralysis by Four Year Strong released via Pure Noise

Four Year Strong is a band who has always meant a lot to me growing up in New England. While I Specifically spent my adolescence in RI, Worcester was only a forty-minute ride and most of the shows I attended were out there. I'm less online now, but I have a feeling I know the consensus on this record isn't very hot. Being an over twenty-year-old easycore band in a time where scene bands are nostalgic acts can't be easy. But to be honest I quite enjoyed this one.

Analysis paralysis as a record has a lot harder an edge than 2020's Brain Pain. The hardcore elements were never really missing from the Four Year Strong formula, but on this record songs like "aftermath/afterthought" are actual moshable moments, complete with a full breakdown, a lot of intensity and a guitar pedal like a buzzsaw. A part of me wonders if a band like this needs to be put on an indie music blog. I know lately we've shied away from this, but there's talks behind the scenes to make sure we don't cover much mainstream anymore. The fact of Four Year Strong is they're still rocking and have managed to avoid the trappings of a lot of bands in their lane. This is a record about aging, so was the last one, but ultimately everyone does. It's also apparent the band is aware of this, especially on a song like "out of touch." This has some really memorable one-liners, some creative songwriting and a lot of heart. While this isn't album of the year or anything, it's worth a listen. If you ever seen one of your old favorites released an album years after you thought they were over, give it a try. Usually there's always some hidden gems on there.

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