The Classic Crime has released another thought-provoking edition to the rock world. Since their first album in 2006, they have always offered thoughtful lyrics combined with interesting melodies and instrumentation, and Patterns in the Static is no different.
The album starts off with the track “Miles and Miles.” Immediately the groove and beat hits you, and you know that this is going to be a song that embeds itself in your mind. The chorus rings out, “It’s alright to face the changes / It’s alright to find your own way out / There’s so many different places / Where the boundaries are erased / Where you can see for miles and miles.”
The following track, “Highlights,” continues with the same vibe as “Miles and Miles.” This track cautions against wasting time and being deliberate with how we spend our time, to remember that we only have this one life.
"We're not gonna get any younger
Let's slow it down
Waste some time in the here and now
It's not over yet
We'll get older and realize
The little things we did to kill some time
Became the greatest highlights."
The album doesn’t slow down, continuing in the alternative rock vein with driving song after driving song. About midway through the album is another stand-out song that has powerful lyrics with an upbeat melody. “The Outside” speaks to not sticking with the status quo, which sometimes that means breaking out of your comfort zone: “On the outside / It’s never too late / To get past the gates / Out into the night / open your mind.“
The album does not shirk away from dealing with darker subject matters. “Destroy Create” is one such song, dealing with sometimes the destructive nature that produces creativity, and that sometimes we sacrifice ourselves in the search for art. The lyrics and melody really pull at each other and drive the lyrics:
"Looking for a light
In this darkness
All the lonely nights traveling
Into oblivion
Into oblivion
I am almost there
I am almost there again
If I don't wanna die
Why do I need the nothing?
Who am I anyway?
Why do I always have to destroy to create?"
The tonality from “Destroy Create” continues into the next track, “The Only Thing,” a melodic but heart-wrenching track: “I’m sorry if you hate me now / Or if you pity my lot / But I’ll keep on singing / Like it’s the only thing I’ve got.” The album concludes with “Before I Woke Up,” a solid finish on an exceptional album by The Classic Crime.
Patterns in the Static is unapologetic of its message and intent. It tackles life’s struggles head-on– and in the end, shouldn’t that be how life is handled? We should be able to share the burdens and trials with each other, but too often it is like closing lyrics: “So go ahead and spit your poison out / Go ahead and take your cheap shots / I’ve never been too proud / This is the end.” If you’ve felt the same, this album stands in solidarity with you.
Listen to The Classic Crime’s new album on Apple Music and Spotify.
Keep an eye on their social media for any upcoming tour dates or music news: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.
Rock On Purpose 