On November 16, Memphis May Fire released their sixth record Broken. The record exemplifies the band’s evolution of sound and, in particular, the talents of lead vocalist Matty Mullins are on full display with this work. The rest of the band is composed by guitarist Kellen McGregor, bassist Cory Elder, and drummer Jake Garland.
The first single off the album is also the opening track “The Old Me.” The opening riffs of this song and Mullins’ voice are a powerful introduction to the album and slam the listener right in the face! The song itself takes on the issue of depression. The lyrics perfectly illustrate the battle that can happen inside anyone: the struggle knowing you aren’t the person you were, the desire to get back to being that person, yet the struggle with how exactly to recapture those feelings and that identity. This is the perfect opening song and first single release to engage listeners into the theme of the album which takes on issues that people struggle with on a daily basis. Please check out the link to the official video for “The Old Me” below:
In a demonstration of their evolving sound, “The Old Me” is actually one of the heavier tracks on the album. However, while not the first single to be released, most will feel that “Heavy is the Weight” is the best track on Broken. Once again, this track pulls the listener in right away with the lyrics “One step forward, two steps back. Nothing good ever comes easy. I gave it all and got the knife in the back.” Unfortunately, whether it’s a job or a relationship or other life event, many listeners can relate to those powerful words from Mullins. The chorus, however, invokes the listener to be “True to who I am” while recognizing the pressure to do so. This is a great song that empowers the listener to do just that while also recognizing how hard it can be to do so.
“Live Another Day” is the track that closes the album and reaches out to those individuals who struggle with thoughts of harming themselves both mentally through thoughts or physically. It’s hard not to think of someone you know struggles with this issue when you hear Mullins plead “But we were born to be great. Don’t just throw it away” many times throughout this song. He later adds that “The hard times and the pain is what makes our story so great.” This song is another example of the band’s ability to recognize exactly how hard things can be yet give support to help one out of those struggles.
Long time Memphis May Fire fans may struggle with the band’s transition in sound over the years but this work is very representative of the band’s message. This album is outstanding and a late candidate to my personal “watch list” of albums of the year. This album earns a very rare 10/10 from me due to both sound and how it takes on struggles many Americans face at this time in our society!
Here is the Track List for Broken:
- The Old Me
- Watch Out
- Sell My Soul
- Who I Am
- Heavy is the Weight
- Over It
- Fool
- You and Me
- Mark My Words
- Live Another Day
You can learn more about the band at the following social media sites:
http://www.memphismayfire.com/
https://www.instagram.com/memphismayfire/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/MemphisMayFire?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Finally, you can catch Memphis May Fire at the following locations and on the following dates as part of an amazing tour that includes Atreyu, Ice Nine Kills, and Sleep Signals
December 4th at Summit Music Hall in Denver, CO
December 5th at The Depot in Salt Lake City, UT
December 7th at EL Corazon in Seattle, WA
December 8th at Hawthorne Theatre in Portland, OR
December 10th at Ace of Spades in Sacramento, CA
December 11th at The Fillmore in San Francisco, CA
December 12th at The House of Blues, San Diego, CA
December 13th at The House of Blues, Anaheim, CA
And, lastly, the band will open for Story of the Year February 2nd at The Pageant in St. Louis, MO
