Love and Loathing by With Confidence (Hopeless Records)

Love and Loathing by With Confidence (Hopeless Records)

After spending a blazing hot summer on the final cross country trek of the Vans Warped Tour, With Confidence would immediately unveil Love and Loathing upon their fans and the world at large. While the band would premiere a few selections from the upcoming endeavor on Warped, the entire Love and Loathing adventure is now available from Hopeless Records. With Confidence has certainly taken their sonic art to the next level, presenting a vibrantly ambitious effort that is as heartfelt as it is exhilarating. Those who cherished the compositions found within the With Confidence full length debut Better Weather will be thrilled to encounter the thoroughly luminous and insightful songs Love and Loathing has to convey.

Love and Loathing opens with That Something, a gloriously romantic anthem about finding that right person that renders your life complete. Sing To Me immediately follows, with its soaring choruses and exuberant sentiments rendering this one a standout. Moving Boxes is deeply reflective, packing away those past memories and looking forward to what the future has in store. The Turnaround is inspiring, with its infectious melodies and inspirational lyrics making you want to take on the world. “I wish I could be everything you’re needing, and I wish I could find all the things you’re seeking,” are thoughts conceived from the spiraling Jaded – a powerhouse track about how you really can’t make someone love you and the intense emotional fallout that ensues. Better is a poignant track where thoughts of striving to become the person you want to be will surely hit home with music fans of all ages.

The second half of Love and Loathing kicks off with the wistful Spinning, presenting With Confidence at their most emotional and imaginative. Bruise firmly delves into the loathing theme of the album, where the melodic reveries juxtapose lyrics filled with heartbreak and broken hope. Pâquerette (Without Me) is an acoustic-based tapestry showing that an explosive amount of emotions and intrigue result even within the quietest moments of the album. Immediately following is the high flying rocker Icarus, a devastating track that aims directly into the heart of the matter. Dopamine is an superbly ecstatic tune, demonstrating yet again how vibrantly ambitious and spirited the With Confidence/Love and Loathing experience is. And then closing out the album on a gloriously thoughtful note is Tails, with the resulting “we’re all searching for the truth” denouement concluding the album on a triumphantly impactful note.

A lineup change and other challenges in this crazy realm we call life has only made With Confidence stronger and more resourceful than ever.  The inspirational Love and Loathing manifesto is presented by Jayden Seeley on vocals and bass, Inigo Del Carmen on vocals and guitar, and Joshua Brozzesi on drums. Love and Loathing was skillfully produced by Mike Green, whose credits include landmark work with All Time Low and Paramore. Love and Loathing is the next thrilling chapter of the With Confidence story, and instead of being on the heels of the dreaded sophomore slump, it’s a monumental achievement that music fans will want to faithfully revisit time and again!

(Review by Ken Morton)

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