Rating: 7.8/10
It’s been three years since The Story So Far has released an album, but after teasing about new music releases for almost a year, they have finally delivered. Their newest album, Proper Dose released last Friday, September 21, 2018, and shows considerable development within the band’s sound without losing their trademark edge that has gained them such a rise of popularity over the past ten years.
This album comes seven years after the release of their first studio album, Under Soil and Dirt, which ran with the angst and attitude of an underground band, and continued until their more recent self-titled album release in 2015. Many of these songs centered around themes of love, love lost, and the tough realities of growing up.
Instead of trying to uselessly hold onto the same themes and tropes that had already been established as staples by the band, The Story So Far has challenged themselves on this last album to make something different. Proper Dose radiates positivity, with tracks like “Upside Down” proclaiming that It’s all love now, and “If I Fall” promising that I’m gaining back ground / I’m forcing myself to to get better by fall, which complement the lighter, airier vibe of the album and giving room to breathe in the band’s discography.
And while the attitude may have changed slightly, there is no mistaking Proper Dose as anything but a The Story So Far album: from Parker Cannon’s headstrong lyrics alongside his trademark fast-talking verses that overlap and harmonize, Ryan Torf’s steady and heavy drum beats, and the way that each song blends into each other, borrowing chords that tie each one together to form a cohesive tie throughout the album are unmistakable.
It’s obvious that the band are not oblivious to the way they gained their popularity, though they are not letting their past define them. With this latest album, it is clear that TSSF is not just catering to their fans, but growing up alongside them unapologetically. By stepping out of their comfort zone, they are acknowledging that they cannot stay young and angsty for life, just as their fans will not, and are not willing to let their band go stale.
The Story So Far is comfortable with their image enough that they can change up their sound without losing their edge, and know that the fanbase that they have collected have aged along with them, keeping their loyal fans while gaining new ones in a newer sound and creating a more diverse spectrum all around.
A day after the release of Proper Dose, the band also released the music video for “Upside Down.” The video personifies the song, scattered with tilting camera movements, rolling fields, and children in endearing Halloween costumes that almost nod to Blind Melon’s iconic “No Rain.” You can watch the full video Here.
