How is screamo effective in aurally communicating inner conflict? Too Close For Comfort answers this question in their most recent release.
To close off their West Coast Summer Tour, Too Close For Comfort released “THE MIRROR” on August 9th. Reminiscent of modern pop punk acts like Bring Me The Horizon and State Champs, this band is reflecting many bands that have come before them.
With writing credits from each member of the band, everyone’s strengths are on display. Tyler Pfeifer, the band’s lead singer, stands out as he drives a simple melody into hoarse screamo. While Evan Dini maintains an up-tempo and consistent drum beat in conjunction with Jimmy Cooper’s bass, Ryan Gilpin’s poignant guitar riffs carry the instrumental quality of the track.
Hailing from Nevada, the four-piece band are building off of their already-established sound, similar to some of their previous and most successful releases. “THE MIRROR” tells the story of betrayal, frustration and angst following a breakup. Much like the title suggests, the protagonist is set to retrospectively contemplate the ways in which someone has wronged them and the ways in which the relationship has changed their sense of identity: “Reflection staring back at me / This is not who I want to be / Every time I try to change / I lose myself.”
The story continues as the protagonist reflects on the emotional impact their counterpart had on them as they grapple with their warped perceptions of their feelings. Pfeifer sings, “Your satisfaction was built on nothing / More than a premonition / Everyday gets harder and harder to feel something more / To be treated less / To feel lost in a trance / Manipulating my mind / What’s this worth fighting for?”
While the protagonist struggles with the reality that their partner wronged them to the point of questioning whether the relationship was worth fighting for, the outro of the song resolves the inner pain as he reaches out with a plea for help tying back to the original metaphor of the “mirror,” asking to be seen and understood: “Save me from this worthless prison / I’ve been sentenced to suffer / Do you see what I see / Do you feel what I feel / I’m not the one you trusted.”
As “THE MIRROR” tells a reflective story of emotional hardship, the sonic influence brings such emotions to life through the use of screamo in a strong plea for help. It is clear that fans of pop punk and alternative rock acts like State Champs, The Story So Far and Boston Manor are able to take something away from Too Close For Comfort and their new releases.
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