Written by Megan Langley
Artwork by Alan Ashcraft
I first heard about Discrepancies when they released their debut album, “The Awakening,” which came out back in 2018. The St. Louis, Missouri-based quartet released a few singles earlier this year, gradually preparing fans for the release of their long-awaited sophomore LP, entitled “The Rise.”
“Undertow” starts off this record perfectly, as it mixes the band’s rap and rock influences very well. It quickly showcases the album’s overarching theme of perseverance and staying strong through tough times with the lyrics before and during the chorus, “No matter where you go / throughout the highs and lows / there’s one thing you should know / it’s never been about the fall, it’s what happens when you get back up.” The lyrics throughout this album discuss a variety of situations, but the one common ground between all of these lyrics is the fact that they circle back to that aforementioned theme.
“Left To Drift” depicts feelings of worthlessness after the end of a relationship with lines like, “Oh what a colorless life / to trust a love that left you torn inside / You feel you’ll never be worth it, do you? / You feel there’s no room for you left in their eyes.” Similarly, “Crawling Back” also has to do with a relationship, with reflective lyrics that discuss letting go of a significant other, despite how much it hurts; “I’m sorry I broke your heart, that was never my intent / just know I’d rather let you go than to ever let you down again.”
The lyrics in the second verse of “Light Up The Dark” speak on racial injustice in the United States; “Land of the free, home of the brave / oh say, can you see that we’re still afraid? / Before I sleep I hope and I pray / ‘cause here in the streets ain't nobody safe”, while the lyrics in the chorus convey a sense of unity and bring a message of hope. This shines through with phrases such as “Light up the dark / we stand together” and “just know it only gets better.”
“Blame Me” has lyrics that discuss toxic people; “If you want to leave my day in ruin, well, mission accomplished / I offer you the blueprint, all you do is knock it / allergic to solutions, addicted to the conflict.” It precedes the album’s closing track, “Forever,” which talks about processing death, specifically when it comes to someone significant in a person’s life, and honoring that person’s legacy, shown through lines like “we’ll hold your memories close until we see you again.”
Regarding the music and composition of the album, these songs all blend the band’s rap and rock influences together, though “Control,” “Put ‘Em Up,” and “Can You Feel It” all lean a bit more towards the rap side. Speaking of which - the rap performances throughout this album (especially on tracks like “Light Up The Dark” and “Forever”) clearly showed a lot of emotion and because of that, those performances stood out to me a lot; other standouts included catchy instrumentals on “Blame Me” and the chorus of “Crawling Back.”
The performances throughout “The Rise” perfectly convey the emotion that’s shown in the lyrics, which send the listeners a message about hope, positivity, and persevering through even the darkest of times, a message that’s very important, especially right now. Overall, this album is a powerful and impactful sophomore LP from Discrepancies.
"The Rise" is available to stream now wherever you listen to music, and you can support the band by following them on Twitter @Discrepanciestv and picking up some merch on their website. If you gave this album a listen, let us know what you thought by tweeting us @lgndsoftmrw!
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