We asked Joey from the ever-growing sad kids itoldyouiwouldeatyou to write some words about Touché Amoré‘s new song, ‘Displacement’.
Has tiny arms.
It’s no secret that I jam the heck outta Touché Amoré. I just think they’re neat. They do hardcore real well. The screams are harsh as hell, but outline real satisfying rhythms. The guitars are kind of pretty, but never too soft. The drums are fast and aggressive, but not crass. The production smacks of mewithoutYou (thanks to Brad Wood), but not of copyism. It’s a neat sound is what I’m saying. Their new single ‘Displacement’ showcases it well.
Much like the last track (‘Palm Dreams’) released from the new record, this song takes where ‘…Is Survived By’ left off and amps up all the best parts of that release. It’s hookier, more immediate, and somehow even more angsty. Not that I use that last adjective derogatorily, by the way – I’m writing this with my fingernails painted black relistening to the Dashboard Confessional back catalogue, so I’m clearly angsty as all heck.
“I don’t know what my legacy will be, a song, some words I write or a kid I’ll never see” – ‘Just Exist’ from ‘Is Survived By’
“You died at 69, with a body full of cancer, I asked your God, ‘how could you?’ but never heard an answer” – ‘Displacement’ from ‘Stage Four’
Let’s address the lyrics, which are a total bummer (again, in a good way). Vocalist Jeremy Bolm seems to be singing about being watched over by a loved one who has passed away, which is a neat way to develop the themes of ‘…Is Survived By’, which focused heavily on Bolm’s thoughts about his own death and legacy. The move from the hypothetical to the literal shown in the lyrics above is heart-breaking in how it shows that death has, for Bolm, gone from a distant thing that troubles him to a literal, scarring presence in his life. All in all, Jeremy Bolm seems like a nice guy (even though he has tiny arms) and I hope he’s ok.
I think on balance I prefer ‘Palm Dreams’, due to the sheer superfluity of hooks on offer, but ‘Displacement’ gets this sad guy very excited to listen to ‘Stage Four’ and have a cry x
Filed under: EP review, New music, Preview Tagged: alternative music, itoldyouiwouldeatyou, Joe Ashworth, Joey, Joey Ashworth, me, new music, rock music
