The Unsustainable Lifestyle (Dischord)
by Tim Den
Ex-Smart Went Crazy guitarist/vocalist Chad Clark simply can’t create anything less than über challenging, both in terms of lyrical diatribes and melodic dissonance (ah yes, the man is a master at coexistence). Beauty Pill, on their first full-length, have created a sublime journey into poisoned food, stuck-up bands, and girl geniuses through the use of metaphor and unpredictable song structures. Though less frenzied in both execution and volume than their past EPs, The Unsustainable Lifestyle nonetheless confuses and dazzles you with its depth, often leaving you wondering about this lyric or that riff. Which is to say there’s a helluva lot going on beneath the surface, and that anyone not completely brain dead and/or spoon-fed will find plenty to dig through. Absolutely amazing album artwork, too.
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