Written by Nicole Guzman
Forming the emo project in 2020, Sterling Johnson and James Dittemore have been releasing music to listeners as Sympathy Card. Over the past couple of months, the Tempe, Arizona-based band has been working to create and release their full-length debut album.
On May 28th, 2021, we received “2002”, a record that did not fail to impress listeners with an authentic emo-rock sound.
That being said, Sympathy Card had released ”GNPenis” and “I Will Never Hit That High Note” back in April, and “Not Horny” back on May 14th. Serving as the album’s singles, they put listeners on the right track of what they should expect from the duo, capturing them with two stand-out tracks that set high standards for listeners instrumentally, lyrically, and vocally.
Right from the start, Sympathy Card aims for the fast-paced end of the emo spectrum as they include loud drums and a variety of riffs. A big role in the band’s sound is Sterling Johnson’s vocals. Johnson has a powerful yet unique voice that captures everything one can look for in an emo track.
Opening the record, we have “Jovi” and “Shade," our first and second tracks. Both of these songs have an "in-your-face" energy with fast guitar, high-energy drums, and striking vocals. Even though they share a similarity in their musical composition, the band plays with their levels of aggression and pace to create two distinct songs. These two tracks complement each other very well in creating the introduction and the transition into the rest of the album.
Up next are four more tracks that slow down from the introduction. Within these four, we meet two of our album singles again and get introduced to two new tracks, “Sunday” and “Fuck Aidan," invoking a softer side of the band to accompany the bittersweet lyricism. While still holding true to their fast-paced roots, Sympathy Card takes their instrumentals and vocals down in energy but not pace to set the tone for the raw emotion Johnson conveys to listeners lyrically.
We continue with three more tracks, ones that pick the pace back up but give energy in a new way. Accompanying one of the previously introduced singles “GNPenis”, the album transitions to "Foreign” and “Lean”. These tracks are so easy to fall in love with as their overall energy and lyrics give us a catchier feel that radiates the joy of live music. Johnson and Dittemore’s talents shine through these tracks in a new way that proves to listeners that they are ready to be the band that you are going to want to see more of, outside of streaming.
It now comes down to the last three tracks. These three make me wonder if Sympathy Card took “save the best for last” to heart with this record.
Up first is “Cling." an extremely impressive track, with guitar riffs and Dittemore's percussion working together to create an emo-pop-punk feel that works hand in hand with Johnson’s vocals. This is another track that captures listeners with a catchy sound and will leave them wanting to hear more.
Next is “Life’s Short. Stunt It”. This track soars to a whole new sound compared to the rest of the record. It resonates heavily in the emo side of the band’s sound and turns back to the aggressive vocals that perfectly capture the passion and emotion in Johnson’s lyricism.
Last up us “2002”, the eponymous track. Normally, I feel that listeners expect a lot from title tracks and this one does not disappoint in the slightest. “2002” combines everything that fans know and love about Sympathy Card into one track. It’s packed full of energy, talent from both sides of the band, and ties the album together perfectly. It’s catchy and fast but never sloppy and never dissolves the roots of the band's overall sound.
All in all, Sympathy Card went above and beyond with this debut. No matter what kind of listener one is, they're bound to enjoy at least one of this record’s impressive tracks. “2002” as a whole captured the essence of emo rock but revamped it in a fresh new way.
You can find “2002” and more of Sympathy Card on all streaming services and keep up with them on twitter @sympathycardaz! Let us know what you thought about Sympathy Card’s debut album and tweet us @lgndsoftmrw!
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