I Don’t Want to Use My Voice
By Tyler Carmody
Awash in a sea of hardcore bands that scream about God knows what, H2O still finds a way to put out albums that have some sort of meaning in their songs. Formed in 1994, this straight edge hardcore band has put out seven full length albums, with “Use Your Voice” being their most recent release, coming out on October 9. While this album has the same instrumentation of H2O’s songs that I’ve come to love, I’ve noticed that the band is slowly going stale.
The album begins with “Black Sheep,” an explosive hardcore jam reminiscent of the 1980s-1990s sound of Sick of it All. The lyrics describe singer Toby Morse struggling with being the “black sheep” in his world, seeing no place to fit in. While the song is truly an amazing beginning to an album, I couldn’t help but think, “Wow, this hasn’t been written about before.”
The next song, “Skate!” was the first release from the new album. With guitar support from pro skateboarding legend Steve Caballero, it is the band’s first skate punk song, and while the lyrics have little effect on the heart strings, “The sweat, the pain, the scars, the scabs; skate and destroy!” It definitely is a skate punk song that is different from the band’s usual melodic hardcore sound, but honestly, that’s not a good thing.
“Thick and Thin” is definitely reminiscent of H2O’s previous songs over the years. With truly heartfelt lyrics and instrumentation that is completely jammable, I was able to get over the cliché that is “Black Sheep” and the bland sound that was “Skate!” This song definitely is H2O at their best.
The title track, “Use Your Voice” was released recently as well, shortly after “Skate!” and it is another great one. Toby Morse has always written about how he supports the shaping of the youth of America to live a positive life, and this song surely is a culmination of that. “When the people look the other way, got to inspire the youth of today!” is surely a line that is rightly repeated throughout.
Up next is “Father Figure,” a relatable track about losing one’s father, yet finding someone to look up to in the heroes that one already knows. While the meaning behind the song means well, again, I just feel like the lyrics can have a deeper, more allegorical meaning. I understand completely just throwing a message out there, but for a song to resonate with the listener and to keep them coming back, they need to look deeper into the lyrics. I don’t know. Maybe that’s just me. However, the instrumentation is amazing again, with a more pop-punk feel, straying away from hardcore.
“From the Heart” is finally another way of getting over the hump that was the past few songs. Every part of it is great, and it definitely has a 90s sound that was what their previous albums were all about. Gang vocals screaming “H2O go!” is a theme that was seen in a lot of other songs that the band put out, and that makes a return. Much like “Thick and Thin,” this is the band doing what they do best.
My favorite track is the next one, “Popage.” It has a 90s punk feel of the Descendents, and it even takes a spin on the name of a popular song by the band, “Bikeage.” This song is pretty much a middle finger from Toby Morse to the haters that say that H2O has abandoned their New York Hardcore roots, and taken the pop-punk and pop music route, as they’ve gotten older and have become fathers and family men. The line, “words you laugh at, the words that I’m saying, pop music is what I’m playing” explains it all. This is definitely a double entendre, with Morse saying that he’s literally playing pop music, but also playing “pop” music, referring to him being in his mid-40s and being a pop himself.
“LYD” is truly a New York Hardcore song at its core. Its explosive, fast, and loud. It preaches PMA (Positive Mental Attitude), a way that many New York Hardcore bands including H2O have molded their lives around. An insane, heart-pounding breakdown mid-song makes this a stand out, and will definitely be one that the band has to play live. Ending with audio from news stories describing looting and crime in the US, the message is surely there to stay positive in the wake of chaos.
“Still Dreaming” has an insanely awesome message about ending racism and promoting brotherhood in America, a theme that Morse has been very outspoken about (His entire back is tattooed with “End Racism” across his shoulders and a black hand shaking hands with a white hand). This song definitely has a post-90s Offspring feel, and I’m saying that is a terrible thing. I’m just biased, but everything after The Offspring’s “Smash” album is laughable, in my opinion. That makes the instrumentation of this song laughable, but the lyrics are still amazing and from the heart.
Upon reading the track listing last month for Use Your Voice, seeing a song called “#NotRealLife” made me cringe. What has my favorite hardcore band become, Miley Cyrus? However, this song has straightforward lyrics about how social media is ruining personality and relationships. Another Descendents inspired instrumentation makes this one another jam. “You want the world to see something you’re not!”
The album ends with “True Romance,” a song that surely is nothing to write home about when it comes to ending a hardcore album. It is, at its center, a song about friendship and trust, but let’s be real, it’s about the 1993 drama film True Romance. Did Toby Morse write a song alluding to a movie, repeating the line, “You’re so cool” that was in the movie as well? I know from his Instagram that True Romance is one of his favorite movies, but come on. Again, great instrumentation, not the best lyrics.
H2O has always been one of my favorite bands. This band is why I love hardcore music. This band is why I’m straight edge. This band has made me, well, me. It’s a shame that their latest release does not even come close to any of their other albums, especially their previous album from 2008, “Nothing to Prove.” While “Use Your Voice” definitely has some gems, it just doesn’t quite hit the mark.
