Album Review: 'I Want To Disappear' by The Story So Far

After years of longing, The Story So Far is back with their new album, ‘I Want To Disappear’, bringing their signature pop punk sound back to the forefront and once again reminding us of what made them so good in the first place. But after such a long wait has it been worth it? The simple answer is yes, the wait has indeed been worth it.

Parker Cannon and his fellow band mates Kevin Geyer (lead guitar, keys), Ryan Torf (drums, rhythm guitar, and keys) and Will Levy (guitars) have done a lot of growing in the years since 2018’s ‘Proper Dose’. This is evident throughout the record, more similar in sound to ‘Proper Dose’ than their earlier work on ‘Under Soil and Dirt’ and ‘What you Don’t See’ but this isn’t a bad thing as the fanbase has no doubt grown up also. That being said, there are multiple moments throughout the album which feel like a call back to the earlier albums.

Kicking off at high speed with ‘All this Time’ the band ease us into the album with the familiar up-tempo sound we’ve come to expect from the band, followed by the equally fast-paced ‘Watch You Go’ giving a real quick and snappy intro to the album. ‘Letterman’ changes things up, keeping a mid-tempo throughout, its melodic verse is sure to catch the attention of fans whilst the massive chorus is bound to incite huge singalongs. 

‘Jump The Gun’ is a track which brings fans back to familiar territory, similar in sound to tracks from ‘Proper Dose’. Its build up throughout rewards with a big multilayered vocal performance backed by a catchy riff and bouncy beat which has helped mould the band's signature sound. ‘Big Blind’ may be one of the safer songs on the album, consistent in sound throughout but lyrically its analogy of love as a card game is enough to keep this song interesting. ‘Nothing To Say’ picks things back up, coming in with break speed drums bringing through influences from other bands such as Blink-182 without ever moving too far from the bands own sound. 

‘Keep You Around’ comes in with a slower tempo and similar in sound to bands such as +44 before bringing things back up with a big chorus. The chorus is catchy and sure to be a standout moment on the album for many. It's moments like this that Parker’s melodic vocal style sounds out as a reminder of what made this band so popular in the first place. ‘You’re Still In My Way’ is another big melodic pop punk hit, giving the listener big singalongs and taking us back to the sounds of the band's earlier work.

The final two tracks on the album are probably the most diverse in sound when compared to the other songs. ‘White Shores’ starts things off with an acoustic intro with quieter more heartfelt lyrics before building up into a huge guitar solo led outro, packed out with Parkers lyrical content allows the song to hit a real emotional climax. Title track ‘I Want to Disappear’ ends the album with an emotional acoustic song. Its one that stands out on the album as something different and more mature in everything from lyrical content to vocal style. It’s a quieter way to wrap up the album, similar in sound to older acoustic tracks such as ‘Navy Blue’ and ‘Clairvoyant’ bringing the tempo down and leading out with a song which is sure to stick with fans.

Overall, it's a good album and in my opinion a real 'return to form' for the band. It's exciting after such a long wait to receive new music from the band, whilst at times it may play a little too safe in sound, it's still a killer pop punk album. It has everything you could want from big choruses, melodic riffs and fast-paced drums to lyrics you could shout and sing along to. For me, the final two tracks really stand out as a progression for the band, moving away from their usual sound and giving the listener a taste of something new. Songs like ‘Letterman’ and ‘All This Time’ also stand out as must have songs on your summer playlist, ‘Letterman’ in particular standing out as a particularly catchy song. This album will easily appeal to fans of the band, bringing back their signature sound, whether it will have as big an impact on new listeners as ‘Under Soil and Dirt’ and ‘What You Don’t See’ had upon their release is hard to tell. 

‘I Want To Disappear’ comes out on Friday 21st June through Pure Noise Records and will be available on all major streaming platforms and through all major record stores.