The Almost is the side project of Underoath’s drummer and clean vocalist Aaron Gillespie, who formed the group as an outlet for songs he’d written that didn’t quite fit the Underoath mold. But rather than just be “Underoath minus the screaming” the group plays a brand of alternative rock that is heavily influenced by the gritty raw south (with a little dash of U2 for spice) with lyrics that seem to be much more personal.
The aforementioned southern grit on this album is anchored by lead guitarist Dusty Redmon and Aaron Gillespie’s impeccable drumming. This is especially felt in the opening title track which is just a straight up barn burner and then again on tracks like the punk leaning “Young Again. Another aspect of the bands sound is the raw sounding acoustic guitar courtesy of Gillespie on tracks like “No I Don’t”, “Hand Grenade”, and especially the epic closer “Monster” which we will circle back around to. Sprinkled in throughout the musical landscape is the occasional use of slide guitar and the always reliable production of Aaron Sprinkle which just adds to the total package on a music level. Where this album really shines though is the lyrics. I’m reminded of the Bible verse Philippians 2:12 which says “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” and that is exactly what Aaron Gillespie seems to be doing. The opening title track gives us a thesis statement of sorts with the lyrics “I’m sick of this monster monster, You’ve gotta get here…we’ve got to get out…before it gets weirder” pointing to our sinful nature and the struggle we all have to defeat it, though the lyrics openly admit to needing God for this battle (What’s the use of going it alone?). The following track “Lonely Wheel” follows up on this theme of fighting through our sin by asking why we wait one more night with the things that we know just drag us down (One last night at the lonely wheel, one last taste of the sin we feel, one hope in the fear that drives us on). Another aspect of working through his own salvation that Aaron brings up is wishing to be young again and I think specifically that feeling of innocence and closeness to God that you have at that time in your life. This is illustrated in the song “Young again” a desperate wrestling with yourself and God in a singular bedroom, trying to find that place of spiritual openness and peace (My God, my God, I’ll change my tune, if You’ll stay all night, come on, come on, let’s comb the room we’re looking for this to come around and make us young again); and then again with the worshipful “Hand Grenade” which really pulls into the southern influence with a slide guitar and simple bass rhythm giving the song an almost country feel, (Oh, to be young it sounds like so much fun, oh the long wait for things to happen…If You’re an ocean then I want to jump right in, if You’re a hand grenade then, I’ll pull the pin. I’ll wait right here all night, for You to let me in, and I’ll run run run run. Run right back to You, I’ll run.). All this culminates with the final song “Monster” which starts of as just Aaron and his acoustic along with a steel guitar before the full band comes roaring in to end the song in spectacular fashion. But more importantly the lyrics “When I am a monster, You never wince when you look at me. When I am a freak, You never stare. When I am a leper, You never say unclean, and when I am lost, You come and get me free” really nail home everything the album is thematically going for. This leads to a recurring theme for me when I was young, guilt. Not just “I got caught doing something bad and now I feel guilty”, but an ache that just won’t go away, that no matter what you do, you’ll never be good enough to please people around you, let alone God, guilt that bordered on self-hatred. Now some of this was personal conviction telling me I could be living better than I was right then, and some of it was just the way I personally interpreted the way I was raised. But songs like the title track and “Lonely Wheel” hit me square in the chest for how I was feeling at the time. I’m just thankful I eventually found the grace described in tracks like “Hand Grenade” and “Monster”, because it’s ultimately that grace that allowed me to truly feel alive. Suggest Tracks: Lonely Wheel Young Again Hand Grenade Monster
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