Is this Lifetime‘s worst record yet? Well it’s certainly no ‘Jerseys Best Dancers’ and it’s no ‘Hello Bastards’ either. Slightly less urgent, a little more polished and arguably more melodic than they’ve ever been before, Lifetime‘s new self-titled album is still brilliant. Let’s not forget that small fact – this album is bloody great. It’s just, well, Lifetime have set the standard for melodic hardcore. They’re a band that have inspired dozens and dozens of bands – without them there would be no The Movielife, no Saves the Day and no New Found Glory. And while their back catalogue remains absolute must listening, this new record doesn’t quite hit those heady heights – although it’s still quite brilliant.
‘Lifetime‘ is just 24 minutes in length, and once the fist-in-the-air ‘Northbound Breakdown’ is over, you’ll know Lifetime are back. The band are unmistakable as Ari Katz launches into his trademark – yet maybe slightly more melodic – vocals, while the guitars and drums bounce off each other like they’ve never been away. The song is classic Lifetime and there are plenty of similar moments on this record. ‘Records At Nite’ and ‘Song For Mel’ are short and sharp blasts, while the breakdown in ‘Yeems Song For Nothing’ is brilliant.
It’s not all plain sailing, however. Many older fans have been critical of the band for signing to Pete Wentz’s label, Decaydance, although I personally don’t believe that has had much, if any, impact on the final record. Steve Evetts’ production is as good as ever, if a little too polished, making ‘Airport Monday Morning’ a great song, albeit a probable MTV2 ‘single’. It actually sounds a lot like Drive thru-era The Movielife, which shouldn’t be the case as Lifetime most certainly came first. I’m not sure if that’s a natural evolution or not. Or, infact, if Vinnie Caruana guests on that song, which would make a lot more sense.
So, is this Lifetime‘s worst record yet? Yes, probably. But while it may not match up to ‘Jerseys…’ urgency or the rough and ready approach of ‘Hello Bastards’, it’s still better than pretty much every band Lifetime have spawned in the last 10 years. While the world is a better place for a Lifetime reunion, this record isn’t quite as good as older fans may have hoped for. But it will still shit over 95 per cent of the rest of this years releases…