Grayscale is a pop-punk band who have been known to undoubtedly put out some great music. From their EPs, Change and What We’re Mission to their debut album, Adornment, the band has always been able to catch the ears of pop-punk lovers.
Fans have seen them open for some of our favorites like Four Year Strong and State Champs. They’ve even heard them lightly brush-over topics like suicide in tracks likes “Beautiful Things” all while delivering mesmerizing performances.
Now, Grayscale came to play in 2019 with their sophomore album, Nella Vita. The album is filled to the brim with home-hitting lyrics delivered in a raw and honest way.
As listeners dive into Nella Vita, opening track, “Just Right” fills speakers of pop-punk lovers with delight. The track’s lyrics are passionate and authentic. The intro is serene with a slight edge as it progresses into a more a punk beat, balancing out it’s tranquil sounds. It’s a sure-fire favorite to new and old Grayscale fans alike.
Next comes single, “Baby Blue”, the music showcases a danceable melody alongside rock elements. It carriers out this vibe as the track continues, with small lowered transitions paired with soft vocals singing “I’m so sorry we fell in love”, creating a skin-chilling moment. The lyrics, at the surface, feel relatable, missing someone who could possibly be toxic. To add a bit more perspective on this song, lead vocalist, Collin Walsh, told Rock Sound, “this is a song about saying goodbye to someone after years of silence… It is about regret and realizing in the moment that what kept you apart was dumb and wasn’t worth the exile of one another.”
Among the other singles released this summer, listeners will find “In Violet” the track which has a stagnant intro which appears throughout the song next to a more upbeat chorus. While the track has hopeful sounds, it touches on the subject of death and not wanting the people who were closest to you to feel a great amount of sadness after your passing. The track acts as a breath of fresh air for those going through grief, offering a moment of relief from that emotional stress.
Next comes “YOUNG”; a strong track entering with a piano paired with powerful and smooth vocal. The band showcases growth in their music specifically in this track. Walsh carries out ear-attracting vocals while meeting with the same voice just farther away in the first verse with the words “Get me out, get me out/I’m falling” and “I’m so tired of seeing read”. Musically, the track is diverse, putting emphasis on their drums, highlighting the stick-work in the break down. Lyrically, the track makes you feel like overcoming hardships. Walsh told Rock Sound that the track “is similar in a way to “In Violet”, but it’s more about our generation, about us being better people, treating one another better, and not giving up on the world or just falling apart. It’s about uniting and trying to rally, being good to one another. Between how much mental health has become a factor for so many people, and how hopeless everything can seem… I wanted to write something that people could hold on to, like a positive battle cry for younger people to try and turn it around, not flop and accept defeat.”
As listeners continue through the record “Twilight (My Heaven)” makes its appearance. The song is a pop-punk powerhouse with descriptive lustful lyrics such like “How we laid/both hands on my waist/still heard your moans through the thundering rain.”
Single “Painkiller Weather” also rears its head on this bombshell of a record. This single made its way onto our Our Top 6 Songs Of Summer list. Here’s what was said about it then and it remains the same now.
Being someone who has lost friends to drug use, ‘Painkiller Weather,’ is an honest and raw track. Grayscale have said to Rock Sound that the song is about “being hopelessly in love with someone who can’t put love in front of their vice. It’s about trying to understand how they think and feel what they feel.” The beauty of this track is being able to relate to it. Talking to people who hold significance in your life and understands the struggles that this song tackles lifts a burden, but there’s a rarity about a song written by perfect strangers. “Painkiller Weather” creates a realization that it’s not just you and your immediate circle that takes on the emotional damage. Drug use is a huge problem that reaches farther than imaginable, songs like “Painkiller Weather” shed light on that in a very upfront and blunt fashion.
“What’s On Your Mind” follows “Painkiller Weather”. Again, showcasing immense growth from Adornment to Nella Vita. The band flirts with electronic sounds and fitting them with rock. The vocals overlap in the background creating a perfect set. The drums are prominent as the song comes to a close creating for all around catchy song.
Acoustic track “Asbury” is a tough track to listen to. It’s extremely vivid from words like “Eyes burning holes/wrinkled skin held your brittle bones/mouth open, eyes closed in unison slow/I said “sorry” as I held you close”. Yikes, right? Well, Grayscale did a Q&A on reddit after the recent drop of the album and Walsh had this to say about the track. “Asbury is about a dream I had where I found closure in a relationship I have struggled with throughout my life. The setting was inspired from late nights on tour where I’d find myself in these off season beach towns that were super serene, but also very ominous at the same time.” An emotional yet a stunning portrayal of this band’s writing capability.
“Desert Queen”, adds a lighthearted mood to this album. It’s carefree and gives off a pop-punk anthem aura to the song.
“In My Arms” follows “Desert Queen” and plays with a computerized tone mixed with their familiar rock sound. The song is addictive and proves that bands stepping outside their regular sounds can result in something ear-pleasing.
The record closes on “Tommy’s Song” a track that goes hand-in-hand with the band’s single “Old Friends,” both written about Walsh’s cousin who committed suicide. “Old Friends”, is an upbeat yet melodic track that is conversations Walsh wanted to have with him. ’”Old Friends” is if I could speak to him again, this is what I would say” is what the frontman had to say about the song.
He continues:
“”Tommy’s Song” is more around my feelings and recollections of what happened, It was definitely difficult writing ‘’Tommy’s Song’‘, but at the same time cleansing. That was my closure. It’s opening up and explaining it in the way that I know best, giving the record this big, anthemic, gospel ending. We wrote the parts out, and Machine [producer] had a choir sing it. I got the first mix when we were driving home and just sobbed, properly sobbed. And it’s crazy, because I usually don’t show my emotion. It’s a very important song for me”.
“Tommy’s Song” is a beautifully written and well-executed track. It’s a ballad where Walsh stresses his vocals in a passionate meaningful way. This track will pull at your heart strings until you cry. Words such as “Even angels sing the blues” are strung together putting listeners inside Walsh’s feelings. The track is also cleansing for fans who have gone through a loss and need something tangible to feel these same feelings with. The track ends with the band’s routine punk sounds tying the whole album together, making it feel whole.
Nella Vita is an album that has something for everyone, from songs emphasizing moments of lust such as car sex in “Just Right” to diving headfirst into hard hitting topics like drug use, inner strength and mental health, to the hurt of losing someone to suicide.
Grayscale bravely put their lives out their for the world to hear their intensity and their pain. Nella Vita is a record that everyone will need in their life at some point.
Be sure to check out the record now.
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