Written By: Nick Garrastegui
Few bands have become loved in the scene as instantaneously as Save Face have. The New Jersey-based band first came onto the scene with 2016’s EP “Folly,” before releasing their first full length “Merci” in 2018.
“Another Kill for the Highlight Reel” is, in one word, theatrical. It has drawn numerous comparisons to My Chemical Romance’s “The Black Parade” and for good reason. It’s similarly macabre while also being fun and breathing life into a rather dark genre.
The moment the album begins you realize this will be an entirely different experience than 2018’s “Merci.” “The Funeral You’ve Been Asking For” features a melancholy piano intro atop a marching snare before morphing into a full rock track 30 seconds in.
It’s quickly followed up by “Curse Me Out,” a musically upbeat track with darker lyrics, including the closing line of “I’ll kill you just for the hell of it / So please curse me out.” This theme is cemented in track two and is present for the rest of the album.
The title track was one that stood out a lot to me on my first listen. It’s one of the tracks most similar to the vibe of “Merci” while also feeling fresh and fitting with the theme of the album. It’s followed by the second single from the album, “Bury Me (Tonight!).”
“Bury Me (Tonight!)” introduced listeners to the theatricality that was to come when it was first released as a single. The track almost feels like an upbeat funeral dirge at points. It showcases a multitude of different musical elements that are found throughout the album, and it’s hard to not sing along after your first few listens.
“Sharpen Your Teeth” is an abrupt change of pace from the tracks that precede it. It almost feels like the band’s take on a hardcore song before it hits a soaring chorus and a bridge that features more piano. “A Song for Your Futile Heart” is another jarring change of pace, but the two flow well together. The half-time track leads us into the album’s first single, “GLITTER.”
“GLITTER” worked perfectly as a lead single. It was the perfect song to bridge the gap between albums and introduce listeners to the new sound while still maintaining familiarity. In the context of the album, it remains a standout track and is sure to hold its replay value.
“The Perks of Not Being Able To See Your Reflection” is one of the darker songs lyrically on the album. The lines “I’m begging you to cut me out of this empty body / I don’t want it at all” and “Put me in the ground / Like it’s the only place that / we can go for now / I never want to come out again / Just stay with me a little bit longer now” stood out to me in particular for their ability to create such strong visual imagery even on my first listen.
“A.M. Gothic” quickly became my favorite track on the album. It’s most reminiscent of early My Chemical Romance and other early emo bands both content wise and sonically. Its abrupt end morphs into the final full band track on the album, “Watch You Die Again.”
“Watch You Die Again” is the perfect track to wind the listener down with before the closer. It encapsulates everything that the album has done perfectly. The ending instrumentals are haunting, with each layer beautifully complementing each other. They reach their peak before fading out into the final track.
“Please Murder Me” rounds out the album. It’s a piano ballad and is the first break from the rapid fire tracks that precede it. Tyler Povanda’s vocals truly shine on this track, with the harmonies filling the ghostly void between the main vocals and piano.
“Another Kill for the Highlight Reel” is an absolutely gorgeous album and acts as the perfect follow up to “Merci.” It’s a strong showing of Povanda’s growth as a songwriter with beautiful instrumentals to complement it.
“Another Kill for the Highlight Reel” is available to stream everywhere you listen to music, and you can pick up some merch from the album here! You can also follow the band on Twitter @savefacenj. You can let us know what you think of the new album by tweeting us @lgndsoftmrw!