letlive. -- Fake History

9/10

Energy is an often overlooked aspect of music, and it can cover a multitude of flaws. Summer of 2010, letlive.'s Fake History was receiving rave reviews from the smaller outlets who covered it. I bought into the hype and listened. According to wikpedia, letlive. is a post-hardcore band, and I have no idea what that means. The best wikipedia can offer is that post-hardcore is hardcore with broader limits. Way to not say anything, wikipedia!
letlive.'s Fake History is fast, heavy music, with a lot of melody, and vocals split between singing and screaming. The vocals are provided by Jason Aalon Butler, the son of the dude who made this (thanks, Boondocks!). Butler does not sound like his father, and in the world of rock and roll, you shouldn't! Butler's scream is clear and satisfying. It is full of emotion, but, save for the times he goes intensely high, easy to understand, and near conversational. His singing is not up my usual alley, though, falling dangerously close to the high, nasal whining of so many in the screaming-band-that-also-sings galaxy. To be honest, I avoided Fake History for a few months because of the singing, but it finally broke me down to the point that I included it on my "best of the year" list (in the four spot!). Four years later, it's clear to see why. Despite my issues with Butler's vocals and his sometimes over-ponderous, and at times to over-the-top lyrics, Fake History's energy level is off the charts. I don't mean every song is blazing fast--the tempos and song textures actually vary quite a bit--I mean that over 11 tracks and 45-minutes the energy never lags. This brings up a topic I'm a bit hesitant to touch when I review recent heavy music. I am obviously out of the 18-25 demographic now, and a lot of the current music in that scene is not meant for me. However, I think good music and a certain energy and positivity in sound can transcend age. If the music lacks that, it can make an older listener feel old. But if it has it, and Fake History does, it can make an older listener feel young.


2010 Tragic Hero Records
1. Le Prologue 1:45
2. The Sick, Sick, 6.8 Billion 3:12
3. Renegade 86' 3:35
4. Enemies [Enemigos] 4:56
5. Casino Columbus 3:58
6. Muther (feat. Chelsea Warlick) 5:40
7. Homeless Jazz 3:41
8. We, the Pros of Con 4:13
9. H. Ledger 3:36
10. Over Being Under" 3:37
11. Day 54 6:45