I’ve always believed that there are only two kinds on songs: ones written to be on an album and ones written to be performed live. And for music enthusiasts, there’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when a band plays those songs meant for an audience to hear. So for this week’s 3 of the Week, I decided to pick three songs from bands I’ve seen in the past year that are awesome on the album but even better live.
1. “Writing On The Walls” – Underoath
Maybe choosing this one has something to do with the fact that this is the last song Underoath will ever play live, but the members chose to put the band to rest with this oldie for a reason. Define the Great Line might be the band’s most solid album, full of both Aaron Gillespie’s and Spencer Chamberlain’s vocals demanding your ears’ attention. So as I stood out in the crowd at Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg, Fla., I was hesitant to see the band play anything prior to Gillespie’s departure. I could not have been more pleasantly surprised. Underoath performed as heartfelt and strongly as ever, and Chamberlain owned the vocals on his own. Singing the bridge of “Writing on the Walls” with thousands of other fans carried the same indescribable feeling it did in 2007.
2. “Imaginary Enemy” – Circa Survive
Not only do I already think Circa Survive might be one of the most underrated bands of today, but I think Blue Sky Noise is one of the most underrated albums as well. Seriously, have you listened to that album? It’ll change your life. How the bass and drums pave the way for a song full of guitar and delays makes anyone want to punch walls (in the best way possible). I should also mention I’m a sucker for Anthony Green’s dynamic lyrics and how he works with the guitars. You know when you can’t sit still listening to a song in a car, it’s going to be pretty compelling to get you in the pit live. “Imaginary Enemy” is that song.
3. “We Never Shut Up About You” – HRVRD
I just recently got into HRVRD before I saw them open up for Say Anything on the Rarities and More Tour a few weeks ago. Impressed with the album, I figured I would be impressed live as well; I was blown away. The exciting, out-of-the-box sounds that the band made, along with Jesse Clasen’s unexpected vocals, made for a very developed live performance. The one song that stood out to me was “We Never Shut Up About You.” The pounding heartbeat the drums carry throughout the chorus mimics Clasen’s lyrics: “The heartbeat I once had, would beat so sure/The hardest thing is to come back and be reborn/The heartbeat I once had, will beat for yours.”
