Biting and acerbic,
Bayside
's seventh effort
Vacancy
is a walloping break-up album. Inspired by frontman
Anthony Raneri
's divorce and the subsequent fallout,
represents both the void left in the wake of his split as well as the literal signage on the Nashville hotel he called home after the separation. For the quartet -- rounded out by guitarist
Jack O'Shea
, bassist
Nick Ghanbarian
, and drummer
Chris Guglielmo
-- it's a continuation of a sound they've hinted at since 2008's
Shudder
. They're no longer strictly emo or pop-punk, sounding less like
Jimmy Eat World
or
Alkaline Trio
and more like
Death Cab for Cutie
Weezer
. That punk-influenced power pop is put at the fore on
, also employing some theatrical show tune flourish courtesy of producer -- and Tony Award-nominated
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
sound designer --
Tim O'Heir
(
Say Anything
,
Hot Rod Circuit
All-American Rejects
). Those bells and whistles lend a
Dear Hunter
-meets-
Queen
vibe to
, especially on "Enemy Lines" and "I've Been Dead All Day." The dramatics are appropriate for the emotional content, adding heft to the fearlessly honest and unabashed lyrics. Those verbal burns singe throughout, as
Raneri
growls and snarls, at times calling out his former partner ("I don't know what I should call you now" on "Two Letters") or helplessly throwing his hands up in surrender ("I can't believe this is my life" on "Pretty Vacant"). The vitriol hits a peak on the highlight "Rumspringa (Heartbreak Road)," the most pop-punk-sounding throwback on the album.
let's it all out here, as the band matches his intensity with punchy riffs and one of many soaring guitar solos on
. The album ends with "It's Not as Depressing as It Sounds" -- which could have also been an apt album title -- a slow-burner that starts off as a dirge and ends with a gang chorus that offers just a little bit of hope after an album of seething emotions and inner confusion.
charts a tumultuous journey through
's relatable struggles, providing a kindred spirit and mouthpiece for anyone who has ever been burned by love. ~ Neil Z. Yeung