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‘Say Nothing’ is the seventh album by the Canadian foursome, Theory, that released on January 31. The band has already made a pretty big name for themselves in the mainstream rock scene as Theory of a Deadman (TOAD), but much like this new album, they’re looking to shed their past and push forward into the brave new world of 2020 with a new identity and a fresher sound. One familiar constant on this latest record, however, is the Swedish producer, Martin Terefe, who worked with them on their previous album ‘Wake Up Call’ as well.
Released back in 2017, ‘Wake Up Call’ marked a departure from Theory’s previous alt-rock/post-grunge sound, and it sounded decidedly more pop-rock than their previous five studio album efforts. In a sign of things to come, one of the album’s biggest hits, ‘Rx (Medicate)’ saw them bravely tackle a topic that’s usually swept under the carpet – prescription drug abuse. Buoyed by the public’s warm embrace of this never-heard-before direction, Theory felt emboldened to step into a heavier, darker lyrical dimension that they hadn’t really ventured into before – and amazingly, the songs on this album still sound light and airy, with each track given room to percolate and breathe – it’s really great songwriting!
As vocalist Tyler Connolly admitted, “this album allowed me to say all of the things that were on my mind earlier, but I was too afraid to say. Our previous material was pretty much all relationship-driven. Everything was about me being unhappy. This one was about what’s going on in the world, the state of American politics, and everything else. It was a completely different way of writing for us.”
While the soundscape is certainly a remarkable shift from their TOAD heyday, Connolly’s trademark vocals sound as good as they ever did, imbued with passion, ennui, and soul-soaked yearning as he shifts from earnest highs to somber baritones. A good example of this is ‘Ted Bundy’, a groovy, cleverly-written number about a serial killer that is one of the standout tracks on this album. It is our personal highlight from ‘Say Nothing’. The way Tyler sings “Baby you know that I love you to death, but I’m never going to see you again” is both thrillingly and chillingly brilliant if you’re familiar with Ted Bundy’s work!
With this new album, ‘Say Nothing’, the band members Tyler Connolly, Dave Brenner, Dean Back, and Joey Dandeneau have taken the pop-rock sound of ‘Wake Up Call’ further and run with it into catchy, intelligent, radio-friendly rock territory. Almost out of necessity, they’ve willingly expanded their artiste’s palette and evolved into world-weary, seasoned songwriters. They’ve discarded the chuggy guitar rock anthems that they were known for, and have incorporated a far more diverse range of sonic experimentation like gorgeous backing harmonies, twinkling pianos and trumpet swells into the mix. They have even matured in the lyrics department, taking on weighty issues like politics and gun violence (‘Strangers’), domestic abuse (‘History of Violence’), communication breakdowns (‘Say Nothing’), poverty (‘Affluenza’), and depression (World Keeps Spinning’) in the ten compactly arranged songs that make up this listener-friendly 30-minute album.
So is this new LP better than their previous TOAD offerings? It’s a resounding yes! With ‘Say Nothing’, Theory have painted a poignant picture that speaks a thousand words about our troubled world.
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