Written by Nicole Guzman
Content Warning: Mentions of Depression and Suicide
Throughout 2020, drama-pop project GET TUFF released four singles; “rag doll”, “misery (makes you dance)”, “a piss poor excuse to stay in bed”, and “over it (ft. sleepyhead).” These were all in preparation for an album titled "In Sickness and in Hell", released on January 15th, 2021.
This exciting new release is brought to us by a familiar face in the alternative/DIY music scenes; GET TUFF is RB Roe, the talented bassist in Save Face, Jetty Bones, and The Weak Days. They introduce themselves as a vocalist and producer in this ten-track debut.
With stunning production, a dark synthpop sound, and striking lyrics, GET TUFF uses this record to communicate the emotions and hardships of mental illness and suicidal feelings.
Opening up the album is “in a pinch”, a shorter track that I feel is an appropriate introduction to the rest of the album.
The next three tracks reintroduce listeners to the previously released singles “rag doll”, “misery (makes you dance)”, and “a piss poor excuse to stay in bed.” These tracks are some of my favorites lyrically.
The vulnerable “rag doll”, talks about the experience of taking abuse from someone and feeling smothered under their grasp. It starts us off with a beautifully dark tone both lyrically and sonically and holds so much emotion.
We then shift into “misery (makes you dance)”, a catchy song that will certainly make you dance (as promised by the title), and “a piss poor excuse to stay in bed”, that also has an upbeat catchy tune but holds the strong lyrics that GET TUFF specializes in. These two remind me of the contrast between dark lyrics and a more upbeat sound mix heard heavily in albums like “After Laughter” by Paramore.
Next, we have “wormz4brainz”, a quick song that talks about the way it feels when you begin to lose yourself, feeling like you are wasting away. In “over it”, Roe works with rapper Sleepyhead to explore the feelings of looking back at a relationship that you haven't quite gotten past yet.
The next trio of songs, “get tuff”, “take it back”, and “ex post factor” all talk about difficulties in communication. Touching on everything from the feeling of saying too much to the feeling of being silenced and everything in between, these softer and heartfelt tracks spark many emotions.
The closing track is my personal favorite from the album. “there’s nothing here yet” brings a strong vocal performance to the table, as well as a gorgeous piano transition into a faster-paced pop sound, and raw, genuine lyrics. RB Roe’s vocal delivery is beyond powerful and this song showcases their production abilities beautifully.
“In Sickness and In Hell”, available to stream wherever you listen to music, is sure to be a contender for album of the year lists come December. Make sure you're the first to know what GET TUFF does next by following RB Roe on Twitter @GetTuffStayTuff and feel free to share your favorite tracks from this record with us by tweeting us @lgndsoftmrw!