Song Review:: Xdinary Heroes: Live and Fall- Night before the end

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  • Release date: 2024 October 14
  • Album tracklist: XH_WORLD_75, Night before the end, Save me, Boy Comics, iNSTEAD!, FEELING NICE, XYMPHONY, LOVE and FEAR

  • Album runtime: 24 minutes

 Ah-hah! They did the thing where they put their singles in a single album! And by that I don't mean an album which is a single. I mean one album. Just to be clear. But it does include the song that feels like such a 2009 throwback, I have a hard time dealing with the fact that it didn't come out in 2009. I am of course referring to iNSTEAD!. 

By contrast, the title track of this album starts out so soft, it's almost hard to believe it's the same group, and immediately sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is one of those songs you sing angrily while crying your eyes out. The gentle guitar is a soft acknowledgement and an invitation to rest a moment, before the rest of the instruments explode with them in a fit of angry-sad for the first chorus. The instrumentals never get that soft again, not even during the next verse or the vocalizations. The only time they get close, though the energy is still heightened in comparison, is during the first part of the last chorus.

I think these guys get to use their vibratos. What is the plural of vibrato? Is it just vibrato? I just looked it up, and the plural of vibrato is in fact vibratos. Huh. You learn something new every day. Anyway, back on track, the place where vibrato would best be heard is during the chorus, when the instrumentals are going crazy, and it's hard to tell. But, I think I can hear it despite the other sounds. And really, more songs need the vocalizations like that. It's an easy flex for vocalists, and they layer really well behind other things happening with the voice. But, this time, the choral vocalizations are standing on their own, which again lends to the whole feel of angry singing while bawling, where your voice just keeps cracking but you really couldn't care less.

Okay. Yes. Talk about heartbreaking. Also, what in the YA dystopia is this? I'm reminded of the Michael Vey books as well as the Shatter Me books for some reason. This isn't a complicated music video, but there is fire, there is magic, and there is butterflies or moths. These are all things I really like. Very simple, but effective storyline. They're literally falling out of love, and it's scary, but standing still out of fear is worse than to just keep moving forward.



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