Review by Dom Vigil
Living Alone is the definition of an honest album. Full of nostalgia, fear, loss, regret and just about every other emotion you can think of, Old Best Friend’s Mike Comite has created a very relatable album simply because these are songs that anyone can relate to.
Beginning strong vocally, Living Alone kicks off with “Cold Came With,” an emotional burst of energy that starts the album off right. You can practically touch the soul and emotion in Comite’s voice, especially in the a capella opening, and when the full band comes in, the song transitions into a hopeful anthem.
“Pretty Sure” is another catchy, upbeat track with emotional lyricism, but it isn’t until the title track (which also happens to be the third song on the album) that you really get a feel for what Old Best Friend is all about. While the first two songs are masked by upbeat poppiness and catchy choruses, “Living Alone” is more open and raw, and it definitely sets the tone for the remaining eight songs on the album. On top of the strong lyricism (lines like “Open your eyes, I know you close them when you sing,” and “Forget the audience, there’s only me,” are some standouts) the vocal harmonies are beautiful. And while instrumentally, the song is rather simple, it compliments the message well, proving that Comite doesn’t need any gimmicks to get his point across.
While “Living Alone” is slower and full of emotion, the following song “King of Nowhere” feels like a total summer jam. A little more lighthearted, “King of Nowhere” is upbeat and easy to listen to with catchy, memorable vocal melodies, proving that while much of the subject matter on this album is on the serious side, not every song has to be a sad ballad. The following song, “Conductivity” is another good example of this. The lyricism in the song is longing and frustrated, and the instrumentation directly reflects that with high energy and strong guitar hooks.
To be honest, the only downside of all of the different emotions on this album is in the sometimes drastic mood changes in between songs. A good example of this comes between “Conductivity” and “Pause,” which is another slow, emotionally driven song. The transition between these high energy tracks and the slower ones can be a little rocky at times, but once Comite starts singing, it’s thankfully pretty easy to forget about that and immerse yourself in his world once more. Easily the best part about Living Alone is the honesty in the lyricism, making it very easy to relate and connect with these songs. Living Alone is very real and self-aware, and on top of the catchiness of many of these songs, it’s an incredible listen.
Rating: 4/5
Listen to “Living Alone” and “King Of Nowhere”