Theory Of A Deadman – Say Nothing
Release Date January 31, 2020 via Atlantic Records
Theory of a Deadman has something to say. Something important, actually. A lot bands are content to put albums that are sure to appease the masses. But putting out songs that connect with people on a certain level on things like domestic violence, separation and racism – that’s a little more serious than the standard, I had a girl and she left me – type songs. Not there’s anything wrong with that. Hell, I love me some songs about heartbreak. But when the situation goes as far as some of the issues the band tackles in these songs, it just hits another level.
When I spoke with drummer Joe Dandeneau in October of last year, we went at length about the band being inspired to not only write about these things but talk about it as well. They even made sure to let the domestic abuse hotline know that they would be sending their phone number out over their social media pages. Joe explained the writing process to me, ““Tyler, our singer, has always written about current events. Now our older stuff was not as serious, it was more fun and light-hearted, even comical at times. But we made the switch to a more serious message we’re trying to convey. Ultimately, I think that’s were we really wanted to be. Sometimes it’s a little scary to make a big risky move like that and making a pivot into a style of music that you’ve never done before. But we wanted to do it and lyrically, it’s always something scary to talk about, with real life issues like that.”
As I took a deep dive into the album, I was very impressed with the production of the record. Martin Terefe does a great job of balancing the various instrumentation as well as Tyler’s vocals. I mention it because this is not your standard 4-piece rock band type of record. They mix their rock sound with elements of Third Eye Blind-esque flow, synths and almost orchestral level music. There’s definitely a bounce that goes along with this album. The drums come in and out of electronic collaborations and even play on top of them. A good example of the mixture is the song Strangers. The sound of the acoustic drums are great but in the chorus the 808 hats add another layer of sound that seems to sit above the song. It’s yet another testament to the production of this album.
Dave Brenner’s guitar has a controlled fuzz that is stellar on a standout song – Ted Bundy. The piano and sort of stomp feel of Quicksand is the backdrop to another serious song on the album. There’s a couple of themes on this album and this one about hardly even having a chance to succeed, really hits home for a lot of people. Again, these aren’t the easiest things to write about and I commend the band for taking the opportunity to include such songs on a major label release.
I really get a sense that, lyrically, this message of togetherness is an important one to the band. I think they realize that you can’t just talk about the problems or even just complain about them – we all need to do something about it. It all starts with each one of us. We are much too divided and speaking as an American – it seems and rock a band from Canada has the formula that all of us already know.. we just aren’t implementing it, as of late. This album is a good reminder
On Say Nothing, Theory Of A Deadman successfully combines serious social issues with music that is well thought out and expertly produced. I would say that the band’s musical evolution is growing and will probably continue to do so, going forward.
-Tommy Marz
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