by Jesse Hudgins
Since 2007, Touché Amore have provided their special brand of hardcore that isn’t afraid of emotional hardship making them staples in the scene. On October 11, 2024, they released Spiral in a Straight Line, the sixth record in Touché Amore’s discography. Hype from the fans leading up to the release was palpable as their last record, Lament, came out in 2020. On top of that, this is their first release on Rise Records; their previous two were released on Epitaph Records.
As someone who went down the Touché Amore rabbit hole during my college tenure, learning that they were putting out another record excited me. I was intrigued to see what they would tackle lyrically and if they’d continue down the same path musically that started with Lament. When I sat down for the first time to listen to the record, I was excited that my favorite band put out new music and I got to listen to it. When the final notes rang out, I felt heartbreak, and not for the reason one might expect: it’s what the album allowed me to safely feel.
While the themes of this album, like mental health, grief, heartbreak, and emotional turmoil, are cohesively covered from song to song, each feels like its own vignette into the topics it covers. The opening track and lead single, “Nobody’s” kicks off the album looking for meaning when it may not be there. Compared to the rest of the record, this is a lighter way to start and ease any newer listeners into Touché Amore and their style.
The rest of the album is no holds barred. After an instrumental opening, frontman Jeremy Bolm bursts into “Disasters.” The powering vocal performance calls out the impact life’s challenges can have on us. It allows the gravitas of the emotional state to be felt and eventually, imagery of flash floods and avalanches are used to describe how an emotional breakdown can happen abruptly and destructively. The tempo and instrumentals of this song help lend to the raw vulnerability of human emotion.
“Mezzanine” is a track like “Disasters” in which it attacks its tone to allow the harshness of mental health and how it can be exhausting. “In a constant race where I keep the pace/ I can’t slow down or hit the brakes; There’s burning out, there’s saving face/ I’m in between, not changing lanes” are lines in the second verse that delve into a concept all too familiar for anyone who’s dealt with problems in mental health.
When it comes to this record and its themes, my favorites are the covering of relationships and the connections that come with the tracks “This Routine,” “The Glue,” and “Goodbye for Now.” It starts with “This Routine,” which compared to the other songs is a slower pace, but it’s not a detriment. One of the scariest things that can happen in a relationship is the revelation that there’s a disconnect between the parties involved. This song cuts deep immediately with “We say goodnight at different times/ You’re on your way to a new day; While I’m far behind.” Bolm’s performance portrays the bittersweetness of trying to show that he wants to do more to catch up and show his “best moves,” but he can’t because of the routine that he’s stuck in.
“The Glue” is extremely upfront in talking about trying to keep a relationship together despite having nothing left to give. It’s extremely blunt with the chorus, “I’ve done what I can to be the glue/ There’s no longer a connection, just residue.” While the lyrics aren’t the most metaphorical from the band, it’s the raw honesty that hurts the most, and especially for those who have been in a relationship that was long-lasting like the one in the song, which is said to have been ten years.
“The Glue” goes straight into the final track and probably the most heartbreaking of the three, “Goodbye for Now.” At its core, the album closer is a dive into a relationship that’s ending, the desire for the it to continue, and the loss of hope of the relationship thriving. While his vocals remain harsh and abrasive, Bolm never comes across as aggressive toward the other party in the relationship, but simply at it ending. This track features Julien Baker, and her vocals combined with Bolm’s, help portray the two different sides and thoughts on the matter. The ending comes with the repeated line, “We say goodbye for now and I’ll try to come around,” and with each repetition, it feels more and more like Bolm is trying to convince himself that he’ll remain in this person’s life even though it’s extremely unlikely. It’s a disheartening way to end the record, but to say it withholds impact is simply untrue. Those who have been in relationships like the one in the song will have it stick with them after they listen, and those who haven’t been in such a relationship will still feel the intended impact thanks to the vocals from Bolm and Baker, as well as the fantastic instrumentals from the rest of the band.
Musically, Spiral in a Straight Line is a great step forward for Touché Amore while keeping what’s worked for them since 2007. They take on fun experimentation in tempo and structure on songs like “Force of Habit,” which has a slower pace and echoey guitar parts that are so well put together and create an ethereal feel to the track. “Subversion (Brand New Love)” which features Lou Barlow of Dinosaur Jr and Sebadoh, is another experimental track where Barlow provides background vocals that repeat lyrics from the Sebadoh track “Brand New Love.” Having Barlow provide vocals from his track on this song was such an intriguing touch that I wasn’t expecting to work but did. Even the opening of “Goodbye for Now” features a light piano before breaking into the hardcore sound for which the band is known. Speaking of their hardcore sound, tracks like “Disasters,” “Mezzanine,” and “Finalist” are in-your-face hardcore tracks that don’t pull a single punch. Songs like “Nobody’s” and “Hal Ashby” have an anthem feel that could get any crowd involved and excited.
Though it may not be my favorite record from Touché Amore, if I said this album didn’t impact me, I’d be a liar. This album moved me in a way that most albums couldn’t, and it helped cement Touché Amore as one of my favorite bands. I know that hardcore music isn’t for everyone, but I recommend you give the album a listen and explore the intense emotions it provokes.
