Written by Jennifer Moglia
On Friday, October 2nd, 2020, alternative band Elder Brother released their third full-length album, titled “I Won’t Fade on You.” The record serves as a follow-up to 2014’s debut, “Heavy Head”, and 2018’s sophomore effort, “Stay Inside.”
Originally made up of Daybreaker’s Dan Rose and The Story So Far’s Kevin Geyer, Elder Brother formed in 2014. The band’s softer sound contrasts that of the members’ other projects, which is why I think they stand out so much; their indie-rock goodness is a true breath of fresh air in a music scene full of so much high-energy pop-punk.
Having never listened to Elder Brother prior to this record, I was really excited to see what they were all about after they were recommended to me by a few friends. I’m also convinced that the universe didn’t want me to see them live until I had listened to them enough to properly appreciate them, which is the only reason I’ll accept for their tour with Microwave and Save Face getting postponed this past spring.
Things kick off with the title track, “I Won’t Fade on You”, a completely stripped-down acoustic song that became one of my favorites very quickly. The lyrics promise to stay true to someone even when things might be uncertain or hard to understand, with lines like “I just feel so safe around you” and “I was saved by you / I’ve got days, no clue / What my brain’s up to” driving this point home.
“Halloween” is a bit more upbeat, and its lyrics like “I know it’s not the season / But we don’t need a reason / To get a little lost in the dark” contribute to why I’ve called this my perfect fall soundtrack. There are some great metaphors and references to the titular holiday here, paired with a little bit of a louder instrumental.
Track three and lead single “If You Love Me (Like You Say)” perfectly communicates the desperation and frustration of not knowing how the other person in a relationship is feeling, and wondering if it’s finally time to just cut your losses and let go. For a song with such heavy lyrics, this is another one of those upbeat tracks, with some super fun percussion and guitar riffs.
The only way I’ve really been able to describe third single “I Get so Tired of You” is with one word: groovy. Though it sounds different from the previous tracks, the lyrics contain the same themes of exhaustion within a relationship, layered with a killer bassline.
The fourth and final single off this album, “Projector” is another one of my favorites, returning to that softer sound and delivering similar emotions in a less aggressive, more lamenting way. The ending line of “I wanted nothing more / Than to be your something more” absolutely shatters my heart in the best way.
Track six, “Ok, Alright”, seems to be a transcription of a phone call between two lovers separated by a great distance, whether that be literally, figuratively, or both (probably both). The heart-wrenching lyrics keep coming on this one; between “I’m glad you’re doing okay / I’m glad you’re doing alright / I’m glad you’re staying away / ‘Cause I don’t think I could see you tonight” and “I know that it’s late, I know that you’re tired / I know the connection is weak / But I can’t peel my soul away from you / Not even if I wanted to”, you’ll be teary-eyed in no time.
Second single, “The Champion of the East Bay”, is another “groovy” track where the percussion and guitars are given a place to shine. The lines, “Chasing down a thing that I can’t hold / As if it would somehow make me whole / I caught you like a cold” within the chorus are some of my favorites on this record.
The story of a relationship ending is told in painful, incredible detail on “The War is Over.” I like to think I’m an expert at getting my heart broken, and this one just hit me in all of the right (wrong?) places, especially the callback to the opening track, a parallel between “No more knots I can’t undo” and “Sometimes knots undo”, which absolutely broke me.
“Hair” is a five-minute heart-wrencher about trying to forget someone, despite constantly finding them in your thoughts and in the songs that you write. It’s a slow burn for sure, musically and lyrically, with the narrator eventually accepting their feelings of grief instead of trying to hide them as the piano draws this song to a close.
Straight out of a coming-of-age film, “High” takes us through a couple whose experiences with drugs tie into the highs and lows of their relationship, culminating in a huge argument and eventually the relationship ending towards the end of the track. The band’s storytelling is at its best here, with the last minute-and-a-half being one of the strongest stretches both lyrically and instrumentally on the entire record.
The final song on this album, “Washed” feels like a warm hug, despite the hard-hitting, emotional lyrics. For me, this was the perfect closer to the record; it ties together all of the project’s themes on a soft, chilled-out track, giving you the same feeling as if you were sitting by a fireplace cuddled up with a blanket and some hot chocolate.
As a whole, “I Won’t Fade on You” has something for everyone, whether you’re infatuated with someone, reminiscing on when you used to be, or navigating another romantic mishap in a year filled with heartbreak. This is definitely a huge contender for my favorite album of 2020, and I give it a lot of credit for finally introducing me to Elder Brother and getting me to check out the rest of their work.
“I Won’t Fade on You” is available everywhere you listen to music, and you get support Elder Brother by picking up some merch from their MerchNow and Big Cartel sites, including shirts, hoodies, stickers, vinyl, and more. If you gave this record a listen and want to let us know what you think, tweet us @lgndsoftmrw!