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Trophy Eyes

Suicide And Sunshine

Written by: PP on 13/11/2023 20:11:43

Four albums down, Trophy Eyes is determined to be a band that will not write the same album twice. "Suicide And Sunshine" is yet another stylistic switch for a band that continues to expand their soundscape to further heights, but it's also a record that feels way heavier than "The American Dream" five years ago. Their origins are in breakneck speed technical punk rock, but the latter album was a display of choral prowess and dark emotions in the vein of Have Mercy, Boston Manor, and perhaps Can't Swim to some extent.

Here, the band shifts towards a classic emo/post-hardcore sound that resembles a concoction of A Day To Remember, Anberlin, and perhaps Armor For Sleep. Those anthemic choral melodies of the last album? You might as well forget about them as their singer John Floreani opts for a far more aggressive, scream-laden approach throughout the record. Take "Life In Slow Motion", for instance. It's full-blown screams and sharp yells here until an anthemic emo chorus. Then "People Like You" starts off almost like a hardcore piece with aggressive, shouty vocals, before transitioning to a pop-hardcore clean chorus with a few choral backing melodies added in for good measure. Lyrically, it's very introspective and clever.

There are a few fully clean ones like "My Inheritance", which has emotionally charged vocals during its chorus. Likewise, "Kill" sounds a little bit like the indie-flavored emo of Have Mercy, only with the volume turned up to eleven. The La Dispute-esque "Sean" takes the band yet into another musical realm, while "OMW" provides a bouncy, summery piece that borders hardcore and metalcore just like A Day To Remember's brighter stuff.

There's a power ballad - "Runaway Come Home" - that's lyrically good but not my first pick from this record. "Sweet Soft Sound" follows a similar template, but actually resembles a Backstreet Boys song (echoes of "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely" here).

Common to all songs is a desire to sound large - very large - in terms of the overall soundscape. "Blue Eyed Boy" is perhaps the most extreme example with massive electronic effects taking over the song, before gravelly, halfway screamed vocals lead out during the verse before an expansive pop punk chorus lands the song onto alternative rock radio charts. "Stay Here" has an enormous, far-reaching chorus.

I'm unsure what to think of this overall. Their lead guitarist departed back in February (following the departure of their rhythm guitarist back in 2019) and the band is down to two original members. Perhaps they saw the same as me: this is a step back from what was one of the very best albums of 2018. It's not a bad record: these are arena-sized songs that will surely expand their reach even further. But it lacks the wow effect of "The American Dream", instead sounding more like the others do in this genre.

Download: People Like You, Blue Eyed Boy, Sean, Kill, Stay Here
For the fans of: A Day To Remember, Anberlin, Armor For Sleep, Four Year Strong, As It Is, Can't Swim
Listen: Facebook

Release date 23.06.2023
Hopeless Records