The Other Side - Tonight Alive

The Other Side is a polished pop-punk record from Australian rockers Tonight Alive. I discovered them when they released their debut album, What Are You So Scared Of?, and very much enjoyed their style and sound, which varied generally towards the upbeat and somewhat happy end of pop-punk. With their latest release, however, they seemed to gravitate towards a darker sound; it's not so much gloomy as realistic. It seems that they've become more comfortable with delving deeper into their own struggles, and the result is a very intimate, vulnerable album.

The record kicks off with "The Ocean", a prime example of this new edgier vibe. The lyrics and meaning, as I've discovered, are incredibly important to Jenna McDougall. The song is about her struggle with eczema, which is a skin condition that causes dryness, cracking, and blistering of the skin. The opening lyrics reveal her constant battle, as she sings "I feel heavy, I feel weighted, And I feel hungry, I feel wasted". It is a moving song, one that you can really feel the emotion and pain behind it. Luckily, Jenna overcame her struggles, and so this bitter song has a sweet ending. Another song that talks about the band enduring hardships is "Hell and Back", which is somewhat more upbeat, yet still retains that underlying darker tone. I really enjoy the drum intro, with the rim hits creating a different sort of vibe than the full on drumming found throughout.

Now, the edgier side is not only used to describe hardships the band has experienced; they get a little gritty and even mean in some songs. "Lonely Girl", which was one of the singles, talks about a friend Jenna had in high school who never accepted her help, and seemed to spiral down into her problems. Lines like "I won't be the one to keep you sane" and "looks like the table's turning, and now you're wishing me well like you miss me" reveal the harsh nature this song takes. And I know that might come off as me putting down the song; to the contrary, it's one of my favorites from the album, and a big reason as to why I ended up buying the record. The song isn't mean-spirited, but it has a "I told you so" nature to it, which I think some artists today are afraid of taking on. Another song that could fit in this category would be "Don't Wish", a song aimed towards a former flame who keeps trying to come back to her, but Jenna keeps rejecting him and telling him to not wish that the next girl is her. It's a relationship song, which isn't uncommon, but I think the approach taken lyrically was unusual in terms of subject matter like this. I also very much enjoy the instrumental, which has the more moody vibe, and also has a nicely placed guitar riff/solo in the bridge, which seems to be something uncommon in pop-punk (although I could be wrong about that).

But again, there are more subjects that the band covers lyrically than anger and the hardships of being in a band. "Bathwater", for example, somewhat follows in the same path as "The Ocean", with lines like "The weight comes back to my body, and I’m hopeless again" revealing a struggle with oneself and one's image, or possibly issues like depression and the like. The chorus of this song feels like a real, deep cry of pain and hopelessness, with Jenna crying for help as she sinks back into the water, back into the depths of her struggles. It's another one of my favorites from the record, as is "The Other Side", the title track that talks about a friendship/relationship that fell apart when distance separated the pair. It's one of my favorites because it's the only song on the record that I would describe as cute; it's a little more light hearted than the other songs, and it has a romantic/bittersweet sort of feeling to it. Even though the ending isn't a happily ever after type, the song as a whole still leaves you with a smile rather than a frown.

Speaking of a more happy vibe, one of the songs that falls into this category is "The Fire", a very pop-punk oriented track. It talks about reaching a goal, achieving something that they put hard work into, and coming out feeling almost invincible. Now, the material is great, but it is the vocal lines in the chorus that have me coming back to this song for listen after listen. Jenna's voice just soars up and down in an enchanting manner. It's hard to describe, so you'll have to forgive my lack of words, and just listen to truly give it justice. Not to mention, this song also has some pretty sweet bass guitar work, which always scores points with me.

As for the last song I'll mention, I thought it'd be appropriate to end with the last song on the album, "You Don't Owe Me Anything", which reminds me very much of their song "Amelia" from What Are You So Scared Of? in terms of the emotional feeling elicited and the general vibe of the song. Although the lyrical content between the songs is different, with "You Don't Owe Me Anything" being about losing a loved one, though I'm not quite sure if it is because of a break-up or a death, but either way, it is a more saddening song by far. Not the happiest way to end the album, but like I said earlier, this album had a more realistic tone to it, so the ending is appropriate.

Overall, I was very impressed with this album. It showed maturity on multiple levels, and had a solid collection of songs with ranging subjects and all backed by great instrumentals. If you're a fan of You Me At Six, Sleeping With Sirens, or We Are The In Crowd, then this album is for you. 4.5/5

Tracklist: (* songs are my recommendations to buy & download)

The Ocean - 3:01 (5/5)*
Don't Wish - 3:51 (4/5)
Lonely Girl - 3:11 (5/5)*
Hell And Back - 3:25 (5/5)
The Other Side - 3:40 (5/5)
The Fire - 2:47 (5/5)*
Complexities - 4:08 (5/5)
Come Home - 3:28 (4/5)
Bathwater - 3:13 (5/5)*
No Different - 2:38 (4/5)
Say Please - 3:14 (4/5)
You Don't Owe Me Anything - 3:20 (5/5)*