| Highly Irresponsible | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Better Lovers | ||||
| Released | October 25, 2024 | |||
| Recorded | January–February 2024 | |||
| Studio | Graphic Nature Audio, Belleville, New Jersey | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 34:57 | |||
| Label | SharpTone | |||
| Producer | Will Putney | |||
| Better Lovers chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Highly Irresponsible | ||||
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Highly Irresponsible is the debut studio album by American hardcore punk band Better Lovers. It was released on October 25th, 2024 through SharpTone Records. The album was self-produced by guitarist Will Putney.
Background
After the release of their debut EP God Made Me An Animal in 2023, Better Lovers toured extensively in North America and Europe, but also made time to record and release a pair of singles, "Two Alive Amongst The Dead" and "The Flowering." Between those singles, the band confirmed to Revolver Magazine that "they have a whole album’s worth of new songs in the works." In January 2024, the band confirmed their debut full-length record would be released later in the year, and unlike God Made Me An Animal, wouldn't be a surprise release - "to do that with the sixteen new songs we’ve written would be unsafe."
The album was recorded in January and February 2024 at Will Putney's Graphic Nature Audio studio in Belleville, New Jersey. Social media posts from the band suggested as many as 17 tracks were recorded during that time, but only 10 were featured on the album.
Release
On July 30, 2024, Highly Irresponsible was announced for release on October 25, along with the album art and tracklist. The next day, the band released the lead single, "A White Horse Covered In Blood." Three more singles followed over the coming months: "Future Myopia" on August 28, "At All Times" on September 25, and "Love As An Act Of Rebellion" on October 22nd. The record will be supported with a North American tour with Full of Hell, Gouge Away, Cloakroom and Spy during Fall 2024, the band's second annual Blissmas festival in Buffalo in December, and a United Kingdom tour with Frontierer and Greyhaven in January 2025.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Blabbermouth.net |   |
| Kerrang! |   |
| Louder Sound | |
Highly Irresponsible has received generally favorable reviews from critics. Reviews often make comparisons to releases from Every Time I Die and The Dillinger Escape Plan. Dom Lawson of Blabbermouth.net calls the album "Punishingly heavy at times, but smart and subtle too, 'Highly Irresponsible' is a sophisticated and schizophrenic metal record: perfect for these confused and bewildering times." Writing for Kerrang!, Sam Law observed "on one hand, the Buffalo supergroup’s bringing together of consolidates decades of learning from heavy music’s cutting-edge and a fanbase ravenous to tear into some truly brilliant, unhinged sounds. On the other, it invites impossible comparisons to past records which will, frankly, never be topped." In his review for LouderSound, Matt Mills describes the album as "the sound of five cult stars clinging to the characteristics that made them cult stars, and it’d be hard to fault them for doing that. However, there’s no sense of rejuvenation that makes this feel like the new, refreshing force people crave. It’s a damn sight better than finding a dead dove in a bag, though."
Track listing
All music written by Better Lovers.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lie Between The Lines" | 4:29 |
| 2. | "Your Misplaced Self" | 1:32 |
| 3. | "A White Horse Covered In Blood" | 3:18 |
| 4. | "Future Myopia" | 3:38 |
| 5. | "Deliver Us From Life" | 4:28 |
| 6. | "Drowning In A Burning World" | 2:44 |
| 7. | "Everything Was Put Here For Me" | 3:26 |
| 8. | "Superman Died Paralyzed" | 3:27 |
| 9. | "At All Times" | 4:36 |
| 10. | "Love As An Act Of Rebellion" | 3:19 |
| Total length: | 34:57 | |
Personnel
- Better Lovers
- Greg Puciato – vocals, lyrics
- Jordan Buckley – guitar
- Will Putney – guitar
- Steve Micciche – bass
- Clayton "Goose" Holyoak – drums
- Production
- Will Putney – production, engineering, mixing, mastering
- Steve Seid - engineering
- Tommy Vasta - production assistant
- Don Phüry - artwork
Charts
References
- Keenan, Hersher (November 16, 2023). "Better Lovers' New Single "Two Alive Amongst The Dead" Out Now". MetalSucks. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
- Carter, Emily (April 3, 2024). "Watch the video for Better Lovers' new single, The Flowering". Kerrang!. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
- Enis, Eli (September 26, 2023). "From bitter breakups to Better Lovers: Inside Heavy Music's Hottest New Supergroup". Revolver. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
- "Better Lovers promise quality and intensity with sixteen new songs". Lambgoat. January 9, 2024. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
- "BETTER LOVERS announce debut album 'Highly Irresponsible'". Revolver. July 30, 2024. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
- Kaufman, Spencer (August 5, 2024). "Better Lovers Announce Fall 2024 North American Tour". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
- "Better Lovers share full Blissmas '24 schedule feat beer release, live podcast show and wrestling". Lambgoat. September 27, 2024. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
- Kennelty, Greg (August 20, 2024). "Better Lovers, Frontierer & Greyhaven Announce 2025 UK Dates". Metal Injection. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
- ^ Dom Lawson (October 23, 2024). "Reviews - Highly Irresponsible". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
- ^ Sam Law (October 21, 2024). "Album review: Better Lovers – Highly Irresponsible". Kerrang!. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
- ^ Matt Mills (October 22, 2024). "Better Lovers' debut album is exactly what you'd expect from Dillinger Escape Plan and Every Time I Die alumni". Louder Sound. Retrieved October 25, 2024.