The Story So Far Drops New Single, Announces Tour and Album: Letterman Song Review

As they say, sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder. It’s approaching six years since The Story So Far dropped its last record Proper Dose. It had been over five before we got the first hint at new music, wrapped up in the seemingly one off single Big Blind. Released in August, it’s felt like an eternity waiting to know if there was more music to follow and looking out for any announcements from the pop punk veterans (can we call them that now?)

In the lead up to the weekend, The Story So Far decided to let the cat out of the bag all at once. A tour announcement with heavy weights A Day to Remember and Four Year Strong—a lineup that speaks for itself—an album name and release date—I Want to Disappear due June 21st—and a new song ‘Letterman.’ Such an all encompassing announcement, after so long in anticipation, unsurprisingly, has fans both excited, speculating, and—as you can never please everyone—possibly even a little underwhelmed.

Where Big Blind was a jolt, a shot of adrenaline to the heart, a kickstart to the day to get you up and moving, Letterman eases you into its rhythm, adding a concoction of layers until you’re contemplating it’s somber yet upbeat tone. It certainly doesn’t have the same immediate effect as its predecessor—a wall of sound that incites head banging and vocals that induce the angry finger pointing Parker Cannon has become synonymous with. Letterman requires more than a quick on the go unfocused listen. Dial in and press replay. I doubt you won’t find something to appreciate the more the sonic sounds seeps into your brain.

The song offers a groove that captivates the listener but is left open enough that the vocals can float overtop and transcend the space, allowing for a lofty chorus. Parker weaves between the softer and more polished singing style he has grown into while still applying a bite to his voice that is reminiscent of when the band was first cutting  its teeth in the scene. Melodic riffs lift the bridge to new heights before a climactic striped down chorus. Ryan Torp drives the song like a steady engine with just enough flare and rev to turn heads.

I will admit however, Letterman left me satisfied but wanting more. There was some sort of kick that I can’t describe with words that I was waiting for and never got. But that may be just the sort of teaser the band was hoping for in the midst of so many exciting announcements. A song that is certainly good enough to perk up the ears and pique the interest but that gives listeners the impression even better things are on the horizon, a way of easing them into the larger overall concept of a seemingly long overdo but maybe in the grand scheme of life, perfectly timed LP.

Youtube Review

Fans may have already got their first taste of a perfect equilibrium between vintage The Story So Far and the new direction that propelled Proper Dose, with Big Blind. But while Letterman may be more Proper Dose than Self Titled, it shows that though the band has hit an interchange on their musical highway, they certainly haven’t exited.

The second single offers an elevation from pop punk that reveals the bands roots remain cemented and sturdy in the ‘soil and dirt,’ but they are ready to ascend in the stratosphere. What this means for the upcoming album and subsequent The Story So Far music is anyones guess. But if the band can straddle this line they have formed between Big Blind and Letterman, I Want to Disappear should have the ability to appeal to both avid fans and newer listeners.

What is Your Favourite Single?

• Big Blind
• Letterman

Beyond the music itself, the band is at an interesting cross roads in its career. The time for evolution is upon us. The gloomy days, heartbreak, and turmoil that have inspired the songs we know and love and have fuelled but also plagued the band and its members may be part of the past. If everything can come together, maybe I Want to Disappear can serve as not only enjoyable music but a bridge that fans of the early music can cross over into an era where we are leaving behind ‘heavy gloom’ for new horizons.