this one has been a long time coming. Let’s Get Invisible and its members have been a part of the diy music scene for years now, and chances are if you are reading this, you’ve probably seen them live or listened to their promising demos on bandcamp. and now on Halloween — yes, on Halloween — they will release their debut album, The Bitter End, on Emocat Records, the same label on which Foxtails released their last record.
in many ways, this record doesn’t feel like a debut. Let’s Get Invisible have road-tested these songs, lived with some of them for years now, so The Bitter End has none of the growing pains that a typical debut has. their identity was formed long before they recorded these songs with Phil Lord (bass player of locals Crag Mask who also recorded Bend). additionally, the band and Lord have avoided the all-too-familiar problem that comes with trying to capture a band’s live performance. you know the one, where a great underground band’s best live qualities don’t seem to translate to the record, for whatever reason. the chaotic, bristling live shows that Let’s Get Invisible are known for has been transmuted into a set of songs that hit hard with coiled intensity.
i’ve seen Let’s Get Invisible described in several different genres: post-hardcore, screamo, indie rock, metal. nailing down exactly what their music is seems to be a little bit of a challenge. that’s not because they’re all over the place musically; The Bitter End is very consistent in its tone and style. instead, i think what makes the band’s music hard to define is where The Bitter End comes from. i’m reminded of a time when i complemented lead vocalist Austin Traver on their music. “thank you!” he said, “i just like making spooky stuff.” [i can show you the receipts, if you don’t believe me]
the idea of “spooky stuff” is a fun one. it implies things that are macabre-adjacent, but are not in-and-of themselves not too gross or morbid. and hearing this from Traver, for me, unlocked something about The Bitter End. the opening organ is a throwback to old-school horror movies. the album’s artwork is a formally-dressed skeleton dancing with his bride. the biting lyrics take on a theatrical quality. for example, in the title track, the final refrain: “i don’t love anyone / i can’t wait for the bitter end” is at once misanthropic, nihilistic, and melodramatic. it’s not enough that the track’s narrator can’t wait for death, he wants it bitter, to end in disgrace, pain, and/or disappointment. and if all of that still isn’t enough for you, The Bitter End comes out on Halloween, the spookiest — but never scariest — of evenings. in that way, The Bitter End works to create the mood of horror, but not deliver actual horror itself.
but that’s not to say that Let’s Get Invisible is safe. no, these songs can often feel like an animal backed into a corner, snapping and baring their teeth. the vocals are sharp and abrasive, the rhythm section is chaotic, and guitars hit like a punch. what sets The Bitter End apart from all of the other albums that you could describe using those same words is the way Let’s Get Invisible combine these elements into songs that are unpredictable, yet have a clear sense of themselves in regard to melody, tone, and mood.
here are my three favorite moments on The Bitter End:
“The Bitter End”: already mentioned above, the finale of this song is, as the song’s title suggests, incredibly bitter. its closing refrain is one of the strongest melodies on the record, and, as its title suggests, it becomes more unbound each time it repeats so that by the final “I can’t wait for the bitter end”, the song has almost fallen apart.
“Guest Room”: while i have no idea what kind of music the band listen to in their off time, this song (and others) suggests some of the band’s DNA may come from the post-hardcore threads of At The Drive-In. the restless guitar parts remind me of some of Omar Rodriguez Lopez or …And You Will Know Us From The Trail Of Dead (circa Source Tags and Codes era). this song holds onto the same focus on melody while combining elements of punk and metal.
“Theresa Falls Up The Stairs, Theresa Falls Down The Stairs”: easily one of my favorite songs of the year, “Theresa” speaks to all of Let’s Get Invisible’s strengths. it’s dynamic: quiet and loud, small and large. a perfect closer that makes good on the promise the album’s artwork delivers of a gothic romance, both beautiful and doomed.
