Review: The Other Side by Tonight Alive

Written By: Emily Racanelli

Tonight Alive: Reaching The Other Side        

When you think of Australia, some things that come to mind might be giant furry spiders and attractive accents. Playing off the latter--because no one likes spiders--it is time to associate something else with Australia: 5-piece pop punk tycoons Tonight Alive. Fronted by female powerhouse Jenna McDougall, the band has been making a name for themselves not only in their home country, but in the U.S. as well. Second full-length album The Other Side tackled serious issues such as medical ailments and broken hearts and became a cathartic outlet for anyone who feels that they may never reach ‘the other side.’ Fear not, after listening to every song on the record, I can assure you that there really is hope and “everything seems more clear here on the other side.”

It’s near impossible to call out a few singles, given each song addresses a different step in the journey to recovery. Recovery from what, exactly? For McDougall, it was about mismatched relationships and a skin condition that resulted in cancelled shows. However, for you, it can be about whatever situation is keeping you locked away from the rest of the word when it abandons you. That statement seems to fit pretty well with “Lonely Girl.” It screams pop punk, opening with a drum fill as guitarist Whaakio Taahi layers in a catchy--yet foreboding--riff over the pulsating bass drum. While the music has enough emotion on its own, the words are what really hit hard. I don’t know about you, but something about the lines “Lonely girl, it looks like you are out of luck/Tell me how it feels to watch your friends give up” always leave me choking back tears. It’s as if McDougall is connecting with the listener, icing out everything else. The song creates the rage and anger needed to get past a friend who left you behind. In live shows, McDougall encourages fans to raise their middle fingers and say “Fuck you” to the ones they wasted their time on. People don’t realize what they have until it’s too late. Instead of sobbing alone and watching some Nicholas Sparks movie, get your aggression out with “Lonely Girl” and scream “And I don’t feel sorry for you!” at all those photo frames on the wall that have to come down.

Loosing a friend is an emotionally damaging experience, but being “just friends” with someone can be equally as detrimental. Title track (and my personal favorite off the record) “The Other Side” eases up the aggression and swaps in an acoustic guitar to tell the story of a high school kid who saw “platonic” as a four letter word. Every small verse ends with the line “just friends” being preceded by obviously personal and detailed moments such as “I was back in high school when/We were talking late from 10/Staying up till 3am/Just friends.” Rim shots come in as the song builds to a full ensemble in the chorus. McDougall’s voice fills will emotion every time a hint of her accent comes in with the line “I meant it every time I said I loved you.” The story finishes how it started, supported by a single acoustic guitar. It is a message of hope and coming to terms with the reality of the situation, going “And if you’re wondering, I’m great/I’m stronger now but still, the same/My love for you it will remain/My friend.” Nothing is more confusing than that awkward stage of a friendship you just can’t seem to break out of. Despite, the song proclaims that just because you can’t let go of some feelings doesn’t mean you can’t move on with your life.

Never has this held more true than with “Complexes,” a constant back and forth game about figuring out where you stand with someone. The upbeat and catchy chorus balances out the bridge, which builds in intensity and heartbreak. McDougall repeats the same lines several times, starting with a soft painstaking voice and ending with a drum-induced yell on the verge of a breakdown. It is a confession of not being able to handle things on your own, going “I wasn’t strong enough/And you didn’t give enough/Well, I needed you/I needed you.” Every time it is repeated, the dent in my chest only grows deeper as the words get beneath my skin and force me to come to terms with having been this weak person at some point in my life. Music that is able to create that kind of reaction is something to be recognized.

From painstaking goodbyes to losing yourself in another person, there is enough heartbreak here to put a Mayday Parade album to shame. What turns it all around is the closing track “You Don’t Owe Me Anything.” It starts out melodic and soft, with just a piano and string section; the lyrics are an acknowledgment that no matter how much it hurts, sometimes you have to walk away. Verses such as “I’ve got a lot to be okay with/We never got to say we made it/My favorite color’s gone and faded/Makes me wonder, did we waste it” leave me with chills as I can feel the emotion and accuracy behind every word. By the second chorus, the entire band comes in and McDougall’s voice raises as she yearns to be heard over the ensemble playing behind her. The record ends with a sign of maturity and the lines “No, that you don’t owe me anything...If you want me to go/I understand.”

Maturity is the best way to describe The Other Side. Not only does it tell a story of growing up and moving on, but it exemplifies the band’s progression as a whole. The fills are faster, riffs neater, and vocals improved on. TA just currently finished recording their third LP, (set for release in 2016) and if this album is any indication, pop punk is about to get turned upside down all over again. I’ve personally set the bar pretty high for Tonight Alive, because it is evident that whatever they do, they succeed at. Next time the group stops by the U.S., you can guarantee I’ll be there on the barricade with middle fingers up, screaming along to “Lonely Girl.”