4/5

La Dispute’s third album, Wildlife, is simply not for the faint of heart. The post-hardcore quintet from Grand Rapids, Michigan had high expectations placed upon them after the masterful epic that was 2008’s Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair. However, with Wildlife they have rose to the challenge with a vengeance. Gone are the romanticized, impassioned cries of “lover!” and “darling!” as Wildlife takes a much darker turn, diving into introspective self-analysis and sprawling narratives that strike for the heart.

With lyrics that read like the pages out of a book, vocalist Jordan Dreyer delivers every line with unfaltering emotion as he flows from spoken word to chilling shouts, exposing vulnerability and despair in his path. The rest of the band accompanies him with melodic perfection, their excellent musicianship shining through while they weave in between each word, accenting his cries with appropriate heaviness and toning it down when the mood sees fit. Each song seems more cohesive than previous efforts, as both guitarists seem to have replaced their habit of exhibiting technical prowess to work in unison to build each song from the ground up. “Kings Park” sees the band at their best as both the vocals and music combine and grow into a terrifying narrative of gang violence and death.

That’s exactly what the second half of Wildlife really is, though. It’s terrifying and desperate, jumping from shootings and schizophrenia to cancer and agonizing suffering, clawing for some light at the end of the tunnel.

“Tell your stories to me, show your bruises. Let’s see what humanity is capable of handling,” yells Dreyer. “All our bruised bodies and the whole heart shrinks.”

Amid crashing symbols and building distortion, they manage to encapsulate the feeling of the entire album in two lines. As the album comes to an end with “You and I in Unison,” one can’t help but feel alone and the sadness seems to linger even after the feedback has rung out and the last few notes fade away.

Your anonymous comment may be printed in The Ontarion's print publication.