Music: Bayside's Interrobang

Source: altpress.com

Note: This article was originally written for the October 2019 Edition of the Beachside Press.

By Antara Singh-Ghai '22

I’ll be honest here: I'm not a diehard Bayside fan, or a member of the "Cult," as their extremely loyal fans call themselves. I haven't listened to all of their music, and I've never been to a show, though not for lack of trying. I don't have a tattoo of their lyrics or an album cover, either, which is more common than you'd think amongst “Cult” members. However, their seventh album Vacancy changed my life and is probably one of my favorite things ever. I'm not unbiased, and this review was written wearing rose-tinted glasses. 

Everyone has that one band, right?

Well, Bayside's my one band. Moving to Connecticut from Florida, my first thought was about how I'd be able to go to their concerts. (That probably says a lot about me as a person, but it's fine). Bayside is an emo-punk band from Long Island. In the span of their twenty-year career, they have created eight albums, with Interrobang being the eighth. Through Anthony Raneri’s (lead vocalist) mesmerizing vocals and lyrics, the band often talks about how life can be difficult and sometimes miserable. Their recent album, Vacancy, changed that theme a little, with some songs being strangely positive despite the overall record being about Raneri's divorce. It is, ultimately, an album about feeling pain, getting up, and moving on. It's beautifully genuine in a way (at least in my opinion) a lot of other music tries and fails to be. 

 On October 4th, they released their eighth album, Interrobang, which is probably the best thing to happen to me this year. 

The eponymous single, “Interrobang,” is probably my favorite song on the album, which is rare. The guitar on "Bury Me” is exquisite, some of the best they've ever done. I'm not the biggest fan of "Numb," but "Prayers" is incredible. 

The album's overall style differs from Vacancy in a way I'm not sure I'm entirely in love with, but it's still great. The lyrics seem less genuine than Vacancy. This is both good and bad. If going through a brutal divorce is what it takes to make "genuine" lyrics, then one "genuine" album is enough. Nevertheless, I'm finding it difficult to connect to this album the same way I related to Vacancy. 

Where Interrobang shines, though, is the non-singles. Aside from the song, “Interrobang,” my favorite is "Walk It Off," which is the closest to older Bayside in style. "White Flag," the last song on the album, perfectly encapsulates the newer theme of guitar solos that's been present on this album, which is something that's changed for the better. Overall, I'd give Interrobang an 8/10. It's great, but it doesn't hold a special place in my heart the way Vacancy does. 

If you, unlike me, can attend one of their shows, they're performing in Rochester on November 10th, Brooklyn, on November 13th, and Huntington, NY, on the 17th. Tickets are available on their website.